Deep Impact: The Archives
by Deepclaw
Summary: The Original Deep Impact fic - After the Maximals leave for Cybertron, Depth Charge is left having to clean up after Primal again. Now he has to tame an unusual crew, build a ship, and get off the planet before the Vok destroy them all!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**: _I do not own Beast Wars or its characters and stuff. That's Hasbro. _

**Summary**: BeastWars: After the Maximals leave for Cybertron, Depth Charge is left having to clean up after Primal again. Now he has to adopt an unusual crew, keep his bondmate from killing everyone, and get off the planet before the Vok destroy them all.

**Warning**: _No Warnings for now. _

_Everything else is better explained at the bottom of the page in my A/N._

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The Autobot shuttle rattled slightly as it hit the transwarp rip in the sky. The Maximals inside mentally said their final goodbyes to the bright orb below and proceeded through the wormhole. Half a megacycle later, tense and excited, they eagerly awaited the exit point.

"Oh, man, I can't wait to get back to Cybertron!" Cheetor exclaimed eagerly for perhaps the fifth time in the last 2 cycles. He wasn't his hyper self so much anymore, but his enthusiasm hadn't died a bit.

"Yeah, yeah, we_ know_. Cool your jets, kid, we got a ways to go. When we came through we were already pretty far from Cybertron," Rattrap said from his seat.

Cheetor was going to reply when a loud thump came from the roof.

"Old sulfar-breath is at it again," Black Arachnia said, exasperation evident on her voice. She sat at a console with the screen, bright with the image of Megatron struggling against his bonds on top of the shuttle, in front of her.

Optimus walked over and looked at the image, a sigh escaping him.

"Well, there's not much we can do, for now. We should be through soon and he'll be taken into custody. Rhinox, can you calculate when and where we'll come out?" he asked.

Rhinox tilted his head and answered in his usual even tone, "Yes and no. As long as we're in hyperspace we can't look ahead. The length of transwarp tunnels varies depending on how the Transwarp drive has to bend space and time to get to a specified place. Because time travel is restricted by multiple parties, not just the High Council, on Cybertron, exact information regarding how time is affected by Transwarp drives is difficult to find. All we know is about the space part, so I can say that the time it took to get to Earth is about the time it should take to get back to where we were. The shuttle's systems are old, but in pristine condition. Once we're out of here, which should be soon, a little tweaking and some recalibrating and I can use the long range sensors on the front of the ship to see where we are using Maximal engineering."

"Understood…" Optimusreplied looking thoughtfully out the front windows. Blinking, he smiled gratefully down at Rhinox as a thought occurred to him. "Thank you Rhinox. Now I can conclusively say I don't know what we would have done without you in the Beast Wars. Thank you."

Rhinox smiled back and nodded, equally grateful for the credit and for Optimus's unwavering leadership. There were times he had sincerely thought he wouldn't be able to pull off the much needed miracles they'd needed and while Optimus was always grateful, over time it had been slightly taken for granted. Now that the Beast Wars were over, any credit seemed far more valuable now than it had back then, simply because now he knew for sure how much he had helped.

"You're welcome, Optimus."

"_I_ know what we would have done," Rattrap smirked cheekily, arms folded.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Rattrap," Rhinox chuckled, smiling over his shoulder

Despite their relief over the end of the Beast Wars, they all had their doubts about whether it was truly the end. Rhinox was thorough in collecting what he could from Earth of their equipment but there was only so much they could bring. The Axalon for one was still sitting at the bottom of the falls and the Darksyde's remains were scattered all over the lava pits. How could they leave that behind? Did they really collect everything? Why did it feel like they were missing something? And someones? Thinking over these doubts, however, were in turn counteracted by their relief. The post-traumatic relief, that they all had, clouded their judgment and only made them look forward to be welcomed home.

So wasn't it a surprise when Megatron made one last great effort to escape and managed to pull off one hand's bonds before unlocking the others, effectively throwing their world into chaos once more? The Maximals panicked.

"Optimus! It's Megatron! He's gotten loose!" Black Arachnia yelled suddenly, gesturing to her screen.

Another heave and Megatron had his dragon head loose and, shaking against the turbulence of hyperspace, reached to get his legs free.

"No! Is there anyway to stop him?" Optimus yelled, horror on his face as he looked around desperately.

"No, we haven't exited yet! Going out there is out of the question and this ship doesn't have stable enough clamping arms to try to reach for him automatically!" Rhinox yelled back from the control seat.

Megatron got another limb free. If the situation wasn't so dire, the scene of him dangling along by one leg would have been comical. After gaining purchase, he managed to free the last leg hurriedly, knowing the Maximals would do anything to trap him. Finally free, he grinned triumphantly as he let go of the ship. His smaller mass, he knew, would travel faster through to the Transwarp exit than the ship. Without the calculations Rhinox had made regarding space, and left to the Universe's decision of what time he would come out at the end, Megatron could get to Cybertron first and, if he played his cards right and anticipated the response Cybertron would have at his return – the Maximal High Council was so predictable – he might have a chance at initiating a plan he'd been concocting for years…

The Maximals could do nothing but watch as Megatron got loose and was sucked down the hole ahead of them, moving far faster than the ship. Shock struck them, next horror, and then a grim acceptance of the fact that they'd have to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be.

The Maximals slumped visibly and even Optimus had nothing to say. Saddened at their failure, but hopeful Cybertron had its own forces, Silverbolt opened his mouth after a few moments of silence.

"Cybertron will intercept his arrival, yes? If he comes out ahead of us, they might arrest him before we get there."

"Possibly," Optimus said morosely, still looking blankly at the console.

"I tried to ensure our arrival at the correct time and place with some pre-jump calculations," Rhinox explained, frown now staining his face. "Without Megatron subject to those calculations…he could arrive at the end before us…and possibly arrive at a different time…due to his smaller size…"

No one really had anything to say until the ship shook violently.

"What the - ?" Rattrap exclaimed.

The space around them warped like fluid and they slid out of hyperspace to see a large blue Cybertron facing them. Somehow, the lights seemed darker and the planet bluer than they remembered. Even so it was home and Cheetor cheered anyway.

"We came out a lot closer to Cybertron than I thought," Rhinox said, his tone indicating his doubt. The look on his face made it obvious how he was feeling – throughout the beast wars he had a very accurate intuition for when things were about to real bad and those times were always evident on his face and in his tone.

"I'm sure something in the calculations were just off," Optimus offered, but his tone was uncertain, despite his words. Rhinox wasn't wrong very often…

Rhinox's frown turned into a betrayed scowl as he looked out over the planet.

"No. No!!! They're turning to fire at us!" he exclaimed, taking the controls to try evasive maneuvers.

It was true, as the Maximals found out by crowding around the pilot seat to see. The battle station satellites were turning slowly. As soon as their auto-weapons could lock on, they fired, bright yellow streaks of energy bolting towards the Shuttle.

"What!?"

"What are they doing! We're Maximal! We're an Autobot ship - "

The ship rocked as a laser hit.

"Cargo hold was hit! We're losing pressure!" Black Arachnia reported, scrambling over her controls.

"Seal it off!" Optimus yelled back, at his own station.

"I did - !"

Another devastating laser hit and the ship shook violently. Black Arachnia was thrown from her chair but helped up by her beloved.

"That…was the ship's stabilizer…" Rattrap reported gravely.

"We're going down," Rhinox noted, his voice heavy.

The planet's gravity pulled them in while the battle stations turned to try to fire at them again. The atmosphere burned briefly as they entered and everyone held on to anything stable they could find as the shuttle, a roaring sound accompanying their approach to the ground, hit the metal surface and skidded, hopped, screeched, and smoked its way down an airport's tarmac.

Thanks to Rhinox's piloting skills, again, they were fine, if very shaken, but immediately they were once again under fire and fighting for their lives as silver Cybertronian tanks surrounded their ship and fired capsules that released a green gas. Sparking and contorting, the bots shifted back to their organic looking beast modes in shock and confusion. This was too much too fast! What was happening!?

Chaos ruled the scene as the Maximals split up to escape, not able to transform and the power of their Transmetal bodies no longer existent. Rhinox and Optimus ran one way, drawing the attention of the majority of the tanks. Rattrap ended up by himself, chased towards the rail cars. Cheetor managed to lose the tanks with his speed and using the small alleyways. Black Arachnia and Silverbolt went underground as the spider's instincts guided her to safer space, despite not remembering Cybertron much at all.

A couple Megacycles ago they were happy and relieved to come home to this planet, but in a matter of cycles, that had been shot to pieces as it became obvious Cybertron was not the living planet they had left behind 2 stellar cycles ago. Now quite a few of them suddenly wanted nothing more than to go back.

Back to Earth.

The place in time they'd just been, where green grass and flowers grew in abundance, where mountains and valleys, tundras, forests, and jungles stretched wildly, the wind rustling over the terrain. Where hundreds of tanks didn't exist yet and the land was almost untouched by civilization. Where their friends and enemies had died, giving their lives to their different war efforts…

The place where two ruby optics flashed online with alarm and stared into the bright, aqua blue light above them.

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**A/N:** :D Yay! New story!

_Just to clear some things up: Here, I'm saying that after Nemesis Part 2, the Maximals were able to get G1 Megatron's spark back into his own body. I know they left that out in the show, probably could write a whole story based on that, but for my story, I say they returned it. I'm trying to stick to the canon ending as close as possible and sticking to those facts – the Maximals packed up most of their equipment and left, maybe a day or two after the last episode._

_Also, I'm throwing Beast Machines in there but with some twists so it's not so bad. X_X See, I think if they returned to Cybertron the way it was, they might be locked up in jail or killed to keep secrets secret or they'd be assassinated by the Tripredicus Council or other things so I said, "Hey. Why not have Megatron eliminate __that threat, reducing the threat to one guy – andhiscroniesandevilgenius- like BM did….Why not just have Beast Machines happen with my own twist to the cast and plot so it's not dumb?" So there we go – Rhinox and Silverbolt were NOT captured. I might bring Dinobot back from the dead, like something about the Oracle or something. 8D But I dunno. I'll see when I get there._

_For now, we're going back to Earth for "Episode 1" of Beast Wars: Deep Impact._

_All that said, I'd like to apologize for a slightly weak intro. ^_^ I really had a hard time thinking of how to intro my story here, it's been brewing for months and no headway on the beginning, so if it seemed weak, please excuse it....or offer suggestions. XD I plan on tightening the chapters into more episode-like sequences and I'm aiming for a Beast Wars-like feel, starting with the next chapter. _

_Any questions/comments/concerns/suggestions/Ideas? Constructive criticism to make me a better author? :D_


	2. Ep1 Fallen Sparks, Part One

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Beast Wars or any Transformers franchise. Just some merchandise! :D_

**Warnings:** _Potential pairing ahead. Further explained in A/N._

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact**

**Episode One**

**'Fallen Sparks,' Part One**

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Late morning, and the sun was high casting its bright rays over the planet. The ocean sparkled brightly and a strong breeze fluttered the leaves on the trees dotting the coastline. The scene was picturesque; the casual observer might have been drawn to stand and stare for a while never having known it was the sight of destruction and war not 2 days before.

Weaving through the deciduous arboreal landscape, two bright lights floated along together, slow and graceful. Anyone watching might have thought they were having fun, perhaps more, the way they circled each other every once in a while and merged, forming a bright silver ball of light before breaking off again in two and continuing their lazy path along the cliffs to the beach below. However, 'fun' was not the word for their predicament.

They were dying.

Without bodies, they were deteriorating slowly.

Together, Tigatron and Airazor had been kidnapped, their souls ripped from their bodies by the aliens and their frames molded together to form Tigerhawk, emissary of the Vok. Depolarized sparks could live for a time without a spark chamber to sustain them, and could even possess others or dead bodies for a time – they were ghosts, so to speak, but with obvious presence. Over time the depolarized sparks would wear away, like water eroding a rock to sand. Eventually, their sparks would be torn by their wild, unstable environment into tiny pieces enough that they'd vanish in a poof and join the Matrix. But in their more sensitive forms, here, they were aware of the beings around them and wanted to try to hold out to get help and help in return. Having floated around and watched things from afar, there were a few things they thought they should report to someone, anyone, before they gave up.

They merged again, trying to sustain each other, while looking for anyone who could possibly be alive. They had been gone so long there was a large chunk of the Beast Wars they'd missed out on, so neither knew too much about some of the newer baddies. Even so, they had to try and their best bet was the ocean, where they sensed someone, two someones, just coming out of recharge.

--

The bright crystal light streamed into his optics and his systems automatically adjusted to filter it.

What was that?

It…It was…the sun…through the surface of the water. The ocean. The salty liquid pressed around the blue mech, the current massaging his form and easing him out of the restless slumber he'd been forcibly subjected to.

He sat up blearily, shaking his head. What had happened? Why was he recharging down on the ocean floor? Where was –

X.

Depth Charge trembled briefly as powerful flashes of memories rushed past him and left him with the last image he remembered, the image of the makeshift energon blade piercing X's spark and the force of the explosion and the crystal shaking and glowing and pulsing in his hands…and…

_Rampage lie not far away, offline, just over a dune of sand, his left leg still attaching itself, his crab legs bent in awkward angles as they righted themselves on his frame. _

He shouldn't have known that, he thought confusedly. His sensors were highly attuned to the crab's spark energy signature, but they weren't _that_ good.

Shaking himself off he stood, but when he reached his full height, vertigo hit him and he stumbled, head hitting the sand before he even knew he was falling.

_Rampage was waking up but mightily confused and achy as his limbs grabbed hold of their previous joints and sparked as they reattached and healed. _

That was …wrong. How could Depth Charge know that?

He stood a second time, still in a daze and shaking his head, trying to shoo the lethargy that weighed down on him. He managed to stumble towards the direction he reasoned must be shore, something nagging at his mind, something he was missing that wanted to be remembered. Was it X? He wanted the crab dead but his attempt had failed and he was in no condition to fight the crab now. He recalled that the explosion had torn off chunks of his armor, possibly more, before he had blacked out. He had to escape while the murderer was still too tired and too dismembered to come after him.

He had to make it to Maximal base and get to the CR.

Head still spinning, he walked ashore, legs nearly buckling with the unexpected weight of his own body being pulled by proper gravity. Dragging his feet as he trudged, he left trails in the sand behind him. The sun was still high and casting shadows before him. His vision was clearing quickly and he found himself feeling a lot better than he had a few moments before. As if he'd emerged from a CR chamber already. What the Pit?

A few odd things he'd noticed in his daze finally caught his attention enough to make him look down at himself, raising his servos before him. He found his chest and hands in pristine condition. His optics then widened with further confusion as he took in the sight beyond his raised hands – his shadow had two fins on either side of it. He spun his head to see if his fins really were attached.

They wiggled unconsciously before him.

He was sure they had to have come off in the explosion! How did they – How could he be all -

How long had he been out?

He checked his chronometer to find that it had been exactly 2.1 Solar cycles since he last looked at the chronometer, just before fighting X while trying to decide whether to engage the crab in battle or help stop Megatron…

What a dumb idea _that_ was! He scoffed mentally. He'd failed anyway, X was still alive, and now he had no idea what had happened since he'd gone offline! And why hadn't the Maximals come to find him? Surely they could have found a way to get him out of the ocean without actually having to swim right? If Rhinox was so slaggin' good at his job, then why not? Maybe they'd left him for dead. Well, maybe they thought he was dead _already_. But, even so, they had to have gone in to get his body right? The whole timeline thing? Or perhaps the mission had failed and….Megatron had gotten the Nemesis online and….destroyed them… That couldn't have happened right? That couldn't have …

He shook his head, guilt starting to bite at his now fully alert consciousness while paranoia crept up his back. X would be up soon, he was sure of it. He wasn't quite ready to face the mocking he'd inevitably have to endure once the crustacean found himself fit as a fiddle. Apparently his pride, while still injured, demanded to be nursed back to health.

Something caught his optic and he jerked back to reality. He had been walking back to base without even realizing it and stood on a rocky cliff that led conveniently up to shore. Whipping his head left and right, he finally spotted it – or them, was more like it. Two…

were those _sparks_!?

He stared in fascination and confusion – something he was getting tired of _fast_ – as the two _sparks_ floated up to him in a kind of dance. What did they wan – Oh right. Disembodied sparks most likely wanted bodies to run around in before they died.

He wasn't sure if talking to them would make them understand anything. They had no audio receptors and no CPUs to process any information, but he'd try anyway.

"Uh, I dunno if you can understand me but I don't exactly have frames in my pocket to hand over. I know you're dying, but I …"

His words died, his vocalizer crackling faintly with static, as the guilt once again nagged at him. His tough attitude crumbled around the edges and he grew desperate. How did he help them? He tried to think of anything that could help. He couldn't build them frames right here. He had no idea what was out there, who was out there, anymore. There could be traps just waiting for him to come along. X was becoming conscious – he still didn't know how he knew that and that bothered him too. No, no, those thoughts didn't help. What could he _do_? And who were they?

The sparks chose that moment to indicate that they were, indeed, sentient, and began to move in a pattern that suggested they wanted him to follow. And so he did, while he tried to figure out who they could be. It just didn't sit right in his logic circuits that they could be the Maximals he knew. Something about the way they moved together suggested a closeness he hadn't seen in anyone but – Oh dear Primus, could it be the Widow and the Fuzor? Were the Maximals really dead?

Again, the guilt! Nagging, a little stronger than before.

He pushed it away with more force this time while he climbed a steep incline, not daring to look back at the ocean. The sparks bobbed around ahead of him, leading him inland, though not to Maximal base.

Maybe they were Predacon sparks, he thought treacherously, still loyal to Megatron and leading him to their base…No, the only really loyal one was Inferno and that was due to some twisted programming someone might have mentioned at some point. And if the Preds were alive enough to put together a plan, the Maximals might be too. He growled quietly, quickly becoming frustrated. Not _knowing_ generally drove him crazy, the endless possibilities regarding any circumstance always stretching before him. Being the mech he was now, he tended to assume the worst and act on it, instead of tripping over himself with a hopeful spark, giving chances this way and that when potential threats incubated, waiting to spring forth at the worst possible moment…

Like Primal. Ugh. Slaggin' ape - trouble followed him everywhere it seemed because of his 'Maximal duty.'

By the time the sun reached its peak, Depth Charge could no longer see the ocean as the broadleaf forest turned into pines and oaks. He entered a clearing, the grass grown high enough to reach his thigh and wildflowers in bloom, swaying in the light salt-less breeze. The sparks picked up in speed and for a second Depth Charge thought they were clearing the area so an ambush could strike and tensed, but they only left to circle a pile of dirt near the other side of the meadow.

"Primus, I have to dig?" he asked, more thoughtful than contemptuous. The pile was preceded by a long streak of debris that cut though the plantlife and – he looked up and saw it – an unnatural cut in the treeline above, as if something crashed through them on the way down. It must be a body they found! A stasis pod the Maximals went on about!

He stuck his hands in and pulled away the dirt in clumps. It was slightly wet, as if a light rain had passed through some megacycles ago. He worked for a while before glancing up again. As if timed on purpose, the sparks dipped dangerously before merging into a shining orb. They did that every once in a while and Depth Charge had assumed it was something to look away from, until it occured to him that without life support they were being dissolved by the atmosphere. He didn't know much about the nature of sparks or anything. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd let anyone anywhere near his own. But it seemed to him they were trying to stick around and, feeding off each others energy and maybe mass somehow, would do anything it took to stay.

Together.

With a minute pause - he couldn't afford to stop – he wondered if perhaps it was Tigerhawk he was trying to save. He didn't know the details, since he hadn't been around at the time due to a severe systems crash caused by a fancy Pred weapon, and no one had bothered to tell him anything, but apparently that mutant kitty had become their ally because two companions that had been part of the team earlier in the Beast Wars had returned as shell-less sparks and fused to become Tigerhawk. Could these guys be those Maximals? Airblade and Tigatwo?

"I guess I'll find out soon enough," he grunted out loud, lifting a stasis pod from the hole and setting it gently on the damp pillow of soft dirt next to him.

The sparks seemed to revitalize as Depth Charge looked over the pod.

It was beaten and part of the control panel was seared away. The crevices of the thing was caked with dirt. Placing his hand on it he discovered that no pulse of a spark was inside. Somehow he had known it was a blank before he even touched it, but he paid no mind to that thought. More important matters were at hand.

Like how to get two bodies out of the thing.

He sighed, mentally batting his frustration away. He knew only _one_ spark could go in there. Tigerhawk had been large and comprised of two beings' mass warped together. Generally a large spark needed a large spark chamber, which meant a large frame. Considering the fact that this was a fairly average sized pod and most likely contained the protoform of one being, they'd have to decide who came back from the dead first.

He turned to tell them that but found no need. They seemed to be having a fight…

He had no idea sparks without shells could fight but that's what it looked like. The one was rather animatedly shaking and moving in circles, angry and incredulous, and the other was moving frantically towards and the pod and back, trying to herd the other in, entrusting its life in the other's future-hands. He raised an optic ridge as the sparks darted in circles around each other, as if trying to fool each other into falling into the stasis pod or something. Doubt nibbled at his circuits again, wondering how he knew what they were feeling, but once more, he chose not to think about it. It was pretty obvious to him there was some kind of argument, considering they were now pushing each other around…

The raybot shook his head of the sight and moved to open the stasis pod to let whoever chose in. He didn't detect energon radiation in the area so it should be fine if he opened it.

After the dirt was scraped away the pod opened with a hiss, revealing a liquid protoform. It was likely still liquid-like because the pod was functioning perfectly, even though the poor guy had no spark. That couldn't be helped now, however, and despite how evil it felt, the blue Guardian was relieved. He wasn't sure what he'd done if it was alive and he still had two sparks to rush through the forest to base along with a new bot to look after. He also figured that with all the unknowns in his situation, he shouldn't try his radio unless it became absolutely necessary. Not having reached that point just yet, and with a potential ally about to come online again, he decided to wait a little more. If the spark left shell-less started dying … faster…. he'd have to take the risk to get reinforcements to meet him halfway.

Finally, it was decided and one spark, he couldn't tell which anymore, glided over jerkily. Probably tired from the 'arguing.' The Other wasn't looking much better, settling resignedly near a tree branch in purple bloom. The 'chosen' one settled inside and the pod reacted immediately. With a snap the lid shut, the pod shook, and the scanner popped out, fritzing on its little golden port. It broke off, useless, and Depth Charge reached for it, scared this plan might not work.

But his worries were for naught as he and the Other spark watched the pod settle and go quiet. A cycle passed, then another, before a light knocking came from inside.

"I... can't get out," a muffled and slightly sheepish voice echoed.

--

Rampage finally onlined, his green optics lighting up slowly, almost ominously. He raised a hand and placed it on the soft earth beneath him, lifting himself to his knees, and then pushing himself to his feet. He was bewildered. He hadn't _died_? He was so sure he'd finally escape the torment life was to him. But if he hadn't died, perhaps his old friend did –

. . . what was this? What was this he felt in his spark? He could feel… his _playmate_ close but couldn't sense him physically nearby. It was like… he was inside…

A distinct feeling of recognition zipped across his frame and electrocuted his spark. He froze as he became aware of his spark, this thing he had wanted to be whole again for so long now. It was certainly whole now, and such a wonderful feeling that was! But the void was not filled with his own spark. The void screamed another life-force; it vibrated with the energy and vitality of the one he'd long tormented, and hunted and played with on nearly a daily basis! But how? He had no idea this could even happen!

Rampage's hands clutched at his chest, as he looked at where his spark chamber was hidden with horror and rising fury.

Fighting his anger off, he stumbled towards the beach, finding his bearings as he went. His thoughts quickly calmed and by the time he exited the sea and found the Guardian's footprints in the sand, he was ready to reevaluate his situation.

The crabbot's brilliant mind whirred with keen interest before gazing down at his hands with a new outlook, trying to understand what was happening. Where was the other half of his spark? He could feel it, but at the same time he couldn't. He could tell it was no longer with the accursed raptor, but now he simply felt oneness with it…and, strangely, a connection with ol' fishface. A very…strong connection, he thought.

This was a…

disconcerting…

disturbing…

frightening….

aggravating…

and very…

very…

_interesting_ development.

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**A/N Tiems: **

_Lol, you know, I was going to take a nap but my first reviewer came by and I was instantly inspired. XD _

_((__ Thank you Yana! :D You're story inspired me to FINALLY get this thing rolling. X_X Don't worry, they won't become whiny hippy emos. I was actually thinking of keeping many plot elements the same and keeping my fave chars. XD See, I actually saw and was obsessed with Beast Machines before Beast Wars. I watched Beast Wars and loved it but at the time Beast Machines matched my interests. A few years ago I gave Beast wars a try, funny story XD but too long to post here, and fell in love with it harder than I did the first time through. I've been obsessed ever since. :D But anyways, I really liked a lot about Beast Machines but after seeing Beast Wars, I realized it was severely lacking. I hope to tweak it with my own version of what's been going on as I write what's happening here on Earth with DC and … his team. 8D :nospoilers!:. Like Cheetor's development? Awesome. But poor Rhinox's fate? Nu UH, Thank you very much. I have other plans, but discussing all of them here would be too much. XD As a last note, Waspinator under DC's command would certainly be fun. Poor Waspinator….but _"Wazzzzpinatorhas_ plaaaaannnz…" _):D_ ))_

_On with the notes: Depth Charge and Rampage? It was a hard decision – take the easy way and have them bonded and be forced to deal with an interesting plot twist that may or may not hinder their …. my-future-plans-for-them :nospoilers!:, OR have them not bonded and have to deal with their animosity for longer in the story than I want to. I chose the easy way simply because there are some other characters I'm going to have a hard time with already …. (gah! No spoilers!) and a Rampage/DC rivalry/trying-to-kill-each-other-ness won't help me as an Author in that respect. Challenge me, yes. . . Do I wanna be any more challenged than I will be? No. _

_Besides, I couldn't think of another chance I'd get where their sparks would be close enough and the circumstances right enough for a twist like this to happen without making it almost Mary-Sue-like convenient. -_-' So I rolled with it. Plus, I like the potential interaction between them in a nonromantic way, which could give rise to proper conflict between them ANYWAY. I don't feel all bonds that we Transfans have come up with are romantic. If it ever DOES develop into more than –insertmyplansforthemhere- I want it to happen as realistically as possible. Also…I like the pairing anyway! XD_

_SO, suggestions/ideas/theories/predictions/questions/comments/concerns….review? :P _


	3. Ep1 Fallen Sparks, Part Two

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Transformers, Hasbro does_.

**A/N:** _Short notes this time! First of all, I'd like to thank Yana again for her inspiration and comments! :D She has a great story she's working on focusing on a Depth Charge/Rampage romance that you should read if you haven't already. :D Tis called "Curse the World and Mean It" by 'storytellers.' Second, I'd like to explain that when I say "Episode" I mean that each section with a title is made to encompass an episode worthy amount of plot. Hopefully. -_- Some might fail to do that, while others might have just the right amount. Like how Fallen Sparks is a mix of "Fallen Comrades" and "The Spark", the epis where Tigatron and Airazor, respectively arrived in the Beast Wars. Fallen Sparks is the section where we deal with the intro elements of an intro episode to a series in the best way I know how at the moment. X_x My main goal is for each "episode" to be similar in length (felt length, not written) and plot to Beast Wars episodes but in a fanfic/prose way. Thus, there are Parts to each section and lots of writing for a couple scenes. XD I haven't gotten to the action yet but don't worry it's on the way. Lastly, this chapter was supposed to be a little longer, but I thought where I stopped it would be a good place for me to pick up on in the next chapter._

_Please review and/or just let me know you're liking it or how I can improve on it or, very important!, if I missed something in the show that might be relevant here or what._

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact **

**Fallen Sparks, Part Two**

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With one more push, Airazor finally managed to get the stasis pod door open with Depth Charge's help. The thing had sealed tight around the edges when the pod had shut without the proper vents activating first. The result was a vacuum inside, the lid held in place by suction. But Depth charge's tail had come in handy, the sharp end wedged in there had broken the seal and let air in, effectively opening the slagging thing. Good thing too – Depth Charge looked haggard and nanocycles away from ripping the thing apart.

"Well…it didn't seem to take that long," she said, looking him over her first words in her new form.

He glared and sized her up.

"Some kind of bird?" he asked, cooling quickly but still on a low boil inside.

Her mouth twitched in a frown for a second at his tone.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Looking down at herself she realized she had had a major makeover. She was silver, blue, red, and gold and her shape had changed quite a bit. This form felt more powerful than her last one but it wasn't quite the same without the feathers… Oh well, appearances weren't everything and she was still a falcon inside.

"No," he grunted stubbornly.

"Wellll, I'm a _falcon_. A peregrine falcon. What are you?" she asked. She honestly couldn't tell immediately either. She'd never been to the ocean, much less under it, and her datatracks didn't cover sealife. She wasn't picking up an ID signal off him anyway, so telling what form he was wasn't given to her either.

"Manta ray. Aren't you supposed to be two bots in one? What happened to you?"

"Not anymore. I'm Airazor, and this is Tigatron, his spark anyway. Tigerhawk was destroyed fighting the Nemesis when Megatron managed to get it online."

Okay, now that wasn't just a ping but more like the guilt that had been bugging the blue mech all day now jumped into a Star Hopper and crashed into his CPU on purpose. Repeatedly. It was harder to get rid of it, but he'd been able to push stronger feelings back before, he could do it now. He'd deal with it later. If there was something that Pit-spawned metaphorical Star Hopper was good for, though, it prodded him to ask an important question.

He reset his vocalizer before intoning more humbly, "Can you remember…anything after that? … What happened to the Maximals?"

"Just a little. It's a bit hazy. Remembering things just from impressions my spark got is like trying to remember a dream that doesn't quite want to stay in one place. It's coming to me, in snippets, but I think vague impressions being turned into spoken or visualized information is – It's kinda jumbled but I think…" she trailed off as she turned to see Tigatron's spark hovering calmly next to her. The orb was radiating love and a strong sense of conviction, most likely that he knew she would succeed in whatever they'd agreed on. Airazor smiled softly. "Give me a moment. I have to try something first. I think I can get Tigatron's spark to stabilize and possibly repolarize..."

Depth Charge nodded, keeping his distance as she practically dove at the stasis pod's controls, but annoyance cropped up in his spark.

"You could start explaining…" he growled impatiently, tipping his head and his tail swinging behind him. So close to getting answers here and she couldn't talk while she messed around with that silver husk?

"Well, I _said_ I have to try something first. I'm not the best at doing and speaking at once and I need to think things over before I spill," she told him, her head inside the stasis pod again. She didn't quite snap at him, but she had a definitive tone that clearly said she knew what she was doing and she wanted him to let her do it in peace.

Blinking, he complied.

For now.

Better to figure her out before he went off throwing his weight around. He checked his frustration and just stood as she fiddled with the red buttons on the side of the pod. Eventually, thankfully not too long, she pulled back with a satisfied smile. "Finished. I'm not sure if it'll work, but I tried to do something Rhinox taught me to do if I ever found a pod where the protoform was dead while the spark lived. He said such circumstances were rare – the pods are designed to preserve the protoform first, spark second; the reason being that an unpreserved protoform becomes a useless pile of discombobulated circuitry and can't be reused or scrapped for parts effectively if it's not kept stable. It has to at_ least_ take a form. Besides, a spark chamber is the only real thing that can sustain a spark for a reliable period of time without damage. What I did here is only temporary and might not even work."

Depth Charge nodded once to indicate his understanding and Tigatron moved forward.

"Has there ever been a case where a spark was still online while the protoform hardened around it without a proper scan?" the ray asked thoughtfully.

"Hmm, not as far as I know. I would think it would be painful and a terrible way to exist," she answered, frowning with sincere sympathy. Tigatron settled into the pod and the inside walls gave way to prongs that surrounded the pulsing orb. Airazor pressed a few buttons and a gentle current struck through the spark, which stopped moving around as if finally sticking to one spot in space. She pressed another button and the lid hissed slowly shut, steam rising, before it sealed. The Guardian 'hmph'd' thoughtfully at that.

Airazor got up off her knees and tried to peer through the front of the pod. She silently gave her regards to the spark inside.

"Are you done doing? Can you speak?" Depth Charge asked, shifting to his other leg and interrupting her thoughts. He was tired of just sitting around and it was even harder to keep his patience now that the threat of Tigatron's extermination was over. Airazor frowned before answering, as if disapproving of his impatience.

"Yes," she answered simply. She made herself comfortable on the stasis pod and spoke. "My memories are still hazy from being Tigerhawk. We weren't in that body for long and the processor was never really meant to be fully operational beyond what the Vok meant for it. But after he gave his life to fight the Nemesis, things become just the slightest bit clearer. In a dreamy way, of course, but I'll try to… 'sound' it out… And catch you up on a few things before we were taken too…"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Rampage sauntered along at an easy pace, trying to feel out where his teal 'friend' was but having major difficulty.

He had left the beach, following the footprints and then the thin and short-lived trails of sand on the path above. But when he'd reached the cliffs, any obvious clue was gone. He was no tracker, at least not in the traditional sense, relying on his empathy to sniff his prey out, but he did now some basics. However, that didn't help him since no impressions were in the hard rocks, of course, and there weren't scratch marks from dragging metal or bits of wires or anything either. Had his old friend used Rampage's spark to heal himself? How?

And how had the raybot gotten the other half of his spark anyway? He couldn't remember anything during the explosion, and if the ray had just left, then there was no way he could find that raptor and rip it from him when the ship he'd been on was nowhere close by, as far as the redbot knew. Furthermore, it was difficult and took time to open Rampage up and do whatever he did to the prone bots spark. And wasn't Depth Charge mortal? How could he cut his own spark and somehow fuse it to Rampage's? Megatron had said that Rampage would need some special tech to get his two halves together again so not to bother trying to get his spark back. Yeah, sure, he was going to stop with a little comment like that. Fraggin' lizard and his games. Furthermore, Dinobot had been a formidable opponent and managed a couple times to beat Depth Charge badly. So taking it from Dinobot wouldn't have been easy anyway unless the slagger was offline and heavily damaged. But that was unlikely wasn't it? He'd just regenerate. Another point: The crab had no idea what the latest news regarding the factions was. He didn't have Megatron abusing his spark to get him back to base right now so where were the…In fact, Rampage didn't sense as many presences around him as he used to.

Rampage could sense many things.

Anything living he could feel to some degree. The more lively and intelligent, the wider range of emotion, and the more vividly he could sense it. Sparks were far more vivid to him than anything else and he could sense them, if not their emotions, from very far away. Before Depth Charge's rather anticlimactic little stint a couple days ago – Oh, how Depth Charge was going to hear about _that!_ – Rampage had an ever present atmosphere of living beings around him. There were the close, emotionally tainted ones of the Predacons around him, then the distant glimmers over at Maximal base…oh and the rather dynamic one below the Darksyde in the lava. He wasn't sure if that one counted as living, as it had glossed over with a kind of numbness over time he knew was called Boredom as it awaited its death. That little thing had been the only Predacon presence on the ship that hadn't irked him like mad, mostly because it had no mouth to run and no solid ego to suffocate in. Far fainter than anything else would be the very, very faint impressions he encountered from time to time, if he really searched or was especially vulnerable, of those who had passed, sentient or not. Those were easily ignored and formed a backdrop of what Earth was to him, the ambience of the planet as its rich variety of lifeforms and dead collected together in a kind of faint harmony of Presence. It was very distinct, much unlike the ambience Omicron or Starbase Rugby or the Council on Cybertron – oh how Cybertron made him shudder! So many! So many around him all at once! It choked him! - had had.

This sensitivity, and his ability to somewhat control it, he took for granted, of course - he'd always had it - and nothing he'd encountered could block it.

Which was why not being able to sense the blue mech's emotions, as if he was blocking the empath out, was really frustrating on top of not being able to track him. And worrisome. Rampage had long attuned his senses to the _fascinating_ spark beating in Depth Charge's chest. Why can't he feel it now? When Megatron had had the crab's spark, Rampage could still sense _him!_ So how was Depth Charge able to use the spark against its other half?

Maybe the ex-Security Commander had gone to use it to heal himself, for some reason, maybe an emergency? And somehow that let Depth Charge calibrate his sensors so that Rampage couldn't find him…or something. Rampage hated not knowing. He didn't know how to track and he didn't know how sparks worked and he didn't know scanners and radar could be manipulated to respond to said sparks or whatever. He _hated_ it.

But..hating wasn't getting him any closer to solving his problem. So, with great effort, he quelled the anger that had been building, continuing his stalking, eventually reaching an area of the coastal forest he was sure he hadn't been through yet - his mind wondering and his spark sensing, searching…

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"They're _gone?" _

"Yes, they left - "

"They LEFT!??"

" - I think they took an Autobot ship of some kind, thought that's a little hazy in places. They - "

"I cannot slaggin'_ believe_ this!!"

"They didn't know we were around, or else they would have helped us. It was hard to get pulled back together, so to speak, after being blown up…"

"They're – they're GONE!!!" Depth Charge shouted, but with clenched fists he held himself together for a moment, glaring with fiery optics around the glade.

And that little Star Hopper stopped all its activities and decided to go on a long space cruise to the back of the tempestuous galaxy that was Depth Charge's mind.

"After all the _slag_ he went on about - about keeping the timeline straight and the stasis pods and protecting the Autobots, he not only left a Pit-fraggin' stasis pod – or _MORE_ – in the aft end of a forest but took a fraggin' _Autobot spacecraft back to Cybertron!!!_ Not to mention he left us _behind_!"

"He?"

"Primal!" Depth Charge yelled before stalking off through the tall grass, his tail cutting several weeds in his fury, yelling and cursing til the flowers wilted.

Airazor looked after him with her head tilting in thought. She had admired their leader. Optimus was strong and wise and smart. A great friend, too, he'd take time to himself and just chill with his teammates sometimes. He laughed and joked as much as he could be serious and stern. Airazor had quickly grown to respect him after her arrival on this planet and was fond of the commander's leadership. But now she was faced with someone who obviously couldn't stand the explorer to some degree. At least, his misgivings. She was sure Optimus's strong points could impress anyone, it was the weak points she knew must rub the raybot the wrong way. While she had explained things she and Tigatron had 'witnessed' after Tigerhawk's death, Depth Charge had been quick to criticize Optimus not once, but several times, even though he'd only been mentioned a couple times during their little debriefing. Apparently, the Commander was too soft or didn't have his priorities straight or something. Now was not the time to ask about Maximal relations while she and Tigatron had been in space, though. The manta was too angry to continue the subject civilly and Tigatron's pod here needed to be refueled to keep him online.

"Depth Charge, I realize you're rather ticked at the situation, but we have bigger priorities to attend to here," she said gently, biting back a tone that might have seeped into her voice. She was not an angry person, but, despite her fairly objective thoughts a moment before, she certainly hated to tolerate any disrespect towards her friends. Optimus was one of those friends, but in order to get anywhere with Depth Charge, it was becoming obvious after the debriefing and his tantrum he was having in the flowers over there, one had to either direct him with supportive comments or get in his face with force. Not having the size to do the latter, and without his respect or having established a good rapport with him, her words barely mattered, and the former choice was the better option. In other words, play nice until he seriously needed to be kicked. So, she kept a tone out of her voice and spoke with ease. There was a third choice, 'stay out of his way', but when push came to shove, she wasn't that kind of gal.

The mech eventually stilled and, just before she went to repeat herself, nodded. With a self control she'd been beginning to think he didn't possess, his face smoothed over and he came back with a calculating expression.

Unexpected on her end, but it worked.

"Alright, so you explained that there were still others on the planet," he confirmed, crossing his arms.

The falcon nodded curtly.

"And that there are more stasis pods out there, one of which you know for certain is alive."

She nodded again.

"But the closest one that could be blank is too far to risk dragging your boyfriend to and _you_ can't even remember the exact location."

"You don't have to sound so accusatory, Depth Charge," Airazor spoke, raising a hand. "I told you, memories from being a spark are fuzzy. Without scanners we couldn't - "

" – Judge distance, I know," the raybot finished resignedly. He didn't apologize, already plowing through mental notes to find a plan. "If we can't immediately get him a body and since the Maximals packed up their gear, we'll have to find a way to process energon to fuel the pod and keep Tigatwo alive."

"Tigatron," Airazor sighed.

"Tigatron. But I have _no_ idea how to build an energon processor. Fix one, yeah, but I'm no engineer."

They lapsed into silence, mulling that over.

Inspiration hit Airazor first, her features lighting up with recollection.

"I…think I remember where there's still equipment. Something purple…Something Cheetor destroyed but might be salvaged - "

"Lead the way, I got nothing right now. I'll move on the ground since we have nothing to strap this thing to me with. You fly on ahead and try to pinpoint this memory of yours," Depth Charge interrupted, hefting the stasis pod out from under the femme and placing it on his shoulder, bending his fin backwards to allow it to rest unobstructed. He paused, mentally checking something, before adding, "Keep an optic on the ground for X…My scanner's aren't reading right for some reason."

The falcon femme transformed to beast mode. Quickly giving herself a once over, she hopped and rose into the air, soaring over the trees. Depth Charge followed behind, carefully picking his way over roots, loose stones, and small streams, silently mulling over the info they'd just gone over … and stewing in suppressed rage. Inside the pod, he could tell, Tigatron waited patiently, pulsing gently and reassuringly.

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A few clicks away, Rampage was still searching, officially bored and growing impatient with his quest. A short while ago he had heard the faint beating of drums and chanting, but he'd left those organic protoforms alone. A spark glistened strongly that way, but he cared not for that mech at the moment.

He kept wandering, approaching a rocky clearing where the boulders were chopped violently and glossy with a thin layer of glass that reflected the sun and the nearby ocean's light. The ground, too, was glassed, some of it sticking out at odd angles as if from some great and very hot explosion. What had happened here?

Something caught his optic above and he looked out over the forest's treeline. High above was a silver and gold speck. The Spider's Fuzor? No, this didn't fly the same and felt unfamiliar. He watched as it circled a moment before heading off again, in the same direction. As if it was following something.

Or perhaps something was following it?

Or someone?

He moved forward with broad steps to intercept them, his optics still on the unfamiliar presence that seemed to be getting _more_ familiar the longer he pondered it. But before he crossed half the slick clearing a metallic crunch under his foot caught his attention and he stopped.

Carefully, he raised his clawed foot to find a charred and warped mass under him. It had some wires spiraling out from its innards but he couldn't make heads or tail of the thing. With a claw he poked it. It didn't move much, indicating it was heavy for its size.

Hmm…

He bent over and picked it up, hoisting it in front of his face at optic level.

Bright red armor shone hard and smooth on the underside, a melted Predacon symbol, barely visible, smeared on the front.

Rampage's optics widened in surprise and he shook his head, laughing heartily at the irony.

"_Oh_ ho! _You_, of _all_ the Predacons, I thought for _sure_ would escape Megatron's wrath longer than this. Apparently I was wrong," he chuckled, mouth settling into a twisted grin.

The mass twitched what looked now like a coal black leg and Rampage slung it over his shoulder where his crablegs secured it in place. With a last look around, the grin still in place, he started his trek into the forest, using the sun and his scanners to estimate where the silver hawk was and where he could intercept it.

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_Well, yay! Part 2 is finished. Now on to Part 3! :D Things will pick up soon I promise. XD _

_Let me know whatcha think! :D _

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	4. Ep1 Fallen Sparks, Part Three

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Transformers canon. Only some fanon and the complete Beast Wars series on DVD. 8D_

**Warnings:** _None. Immuna stop putting Warning unless there's a warning to be had_ _here, 'kay? :D_

**Notes:** _More on the bottom – a lot more x_x – but thank you my reviewers! :DDD I really enjoy hearing from you! :P My inspiration! :'D_

_Holy slag, Word says this has 7000 words. X_x A/N not included. X_x Wow, longest chapter I've written everrrr…._

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact **

**Fallen Sparks, Part 3**

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Depth Charge cursed as he tripped for the second time in the last half megacycle. Fragging trees had their roots up in the air and with Tigertoe sitting on his shoulder he had an obstacle in his visual field. He wanted to walk straight through them but the organic plants were rather hardy and hurt like the Pit if there was a particularly thick root. He righted himself, cursing quietly.

Glancing skyward again he saw Airazor circling lazily before flapping and heading off again. He'd been walking for a while now, and he was starting to doubt if she knew where she was going. Like she said, distance was jumbled up without some kind of device to calculate that distance. All she knew was the general direction and the landscape of that site. She'd explained a little while ago when she came to check on Tigatron that she'd been there when Tigerhawk had come online with their sparks inside. So she kind of knew where it was from having a processor at the time too, and that it was back near the ocean but she had to feel it out, since her memories were still _in_ her spark.

He kept his pace until a faint, "Screee!" came through the treetop. He picked up his pace and came out into a clearing. Airazor was landing, transforming before she set foot on the ground in front of Depth Charge.

Past her, not 20 yards away, was X who actually looked a little surprised.

Depth Charge leered and snapped, "You didn't see him coming?!"

"He came out of the dense trees ahead. I don't have X-ray vision," she cut him off, her weapons drawn and aimed at the crab. It was unusual, and uncomfortable, to have someone covering for him, even if it was to protect her boyfriend. In fact, it kind of irked him. A lot. He didn't need anyone to protect him from X, that was his job.

Despite his better judgment, he stepped forward. His tail wasn't the most dexterous limb he had, but it curled up around the pod and dragged it behind him, where it kept the pod secured against Depth Charge's back. He hadn't done that earlier since it took an amount of concentration to tell his tail, which because it could detach, wasn't linked to his systems the way his arms, legs, or fins were, to stay secure.

He drew a remora rifle.

"What do you want, _creep?"_ he sneered, eyeing the dark lump on X's shoulder.

Depth Charge found that his scanners must still be broken. They were still picking X up as if he was on top of the raybot but he was right there across the clearing! He ignored them, relying on his better senses.

X cocked his head.

"Why I've finally found you! Seems you've managed to elude my…scanners," he exclaimed, gesturing slowly with his hands. They were empty, but Depth charge knew he was quick enough to get a missile launcher in his hands before he or Airazor could react. X's voice took a mocking tone to it and he grinned, an optic ridge raised in amusement, "_Well_, first I wanted to let you know: I'm _alive_."

The Guardian's optics narrowed to slits. X laughed heartily, but it turned … hollow in a way; like he was more interested in watching his old friend's reactions or looking for something than truly mocking. He even looked a little desperate. Something was up. Depth Charge had never seen such a drawn look on that mech's face before.

"So you're alive," Depth Charge replied, cocking his gun and holding it aloft, "What makes you think you'll stay that way for long?"

X's face fell into disappointment before picking up again into a more neutral expression. Internally he was searching, stretching his awareness across the clearing. Why couldn't he feel his own spark!? Give it back! To polish off his growing frustration, X also couldn't sense what Depth Charge was feeling. He only felt two sets of emotions when there were three sparks over there. This was really odd. He thought for _sure_ he'd sense something if he came closer. Time for a little provoking - that usually got something from the teal skate.

"Well, I think I'll be around for a long time, considering the fact that _you can't kill me_," he taunted, aware of the foreign spark in his chest cavity. His optics sharpened, looking for signs that Depth Charge knew what he was referring to. If DC killed Rampage, wouldn't he kill himself in the process?

Depth Charge, however, didn't get the hint and thought he was mocking him for their earlier battle again. He growled and pointed his rifle at his target, pulling the trigger.

"Depth Charge,_ no_!" Airazor shouted, reaching a hand out but not daring to touch the short tempered ray.

X ducked behind three just next to him which splintered as the laserfire hit it.

"What!?" the manta shouted, optics trained on the tree. He mentally checked his cargo, but Tigatron was fine if confused and worried. At least…he _thought_ he was confused and worried. How – ?

"He has something on him! We don't know what it is and you're firing blindly at him!" Airazor yelled angrily indignant, but not lowering her weapons. "It _looked_ like a _bot!_"

"She's right, tuna can!" X yelled out from behind the tree. "I have a little _hostage _you might not want to destroy so _sparklessly."_

Rampage sounded normal, but inside he was truly distressed. He prided himself in being rather smart, smarter than many he'd come across. Finding out how things worked was easy with a few pointers. But as he had made his way here and pondered things, he'd realized that this was beyond his control and there were no clues except that Depth Charge obviously didn't react to his hint or seem unusually perturbed at the crab's presence. Again the question came to him: How could someone hide from him? That wasn't possible! Especially not _this _particular bot! The Guardian's presence was always so overwhelmingly _Depth Charge_, ever present, however faint, and could be picked out so easily. It was a magnificent spark, so like his own and yet so different. And now it was gone? He had imagined it would be nice to teach Depth Charge what Rampage was by doing to him what the scientists had done until the mech died. Rampage would consume that spark like the delicacy it was as the ray went offline knowing the horror Rampage had had to endure down in the labs he'd protected so adamantly. Keeping him alive through all of it was out of the question, of course, he could escape with Death while Rampage never could, but at least he'd make _sure_ Omicron's Guardian understood before he went. He'd had his plans for Depth Charge should the ray lose their game. But now it was gone, completely blocked out from him and it was just so…so… _unnerving_.

He could live with it, he assumed, even if he didn't like it.

But with it was half his spark and he wanted that right now more than someone to play with. With it so close he couldn't give up or back down. Megatron had been so controlled and paranoid, and while Depth Charge was similar, he was easier to manipulate.

Inside himself he felt Depth Charge's lifeforce but he wasn't sure how to…. He shut his optics and tried to grasp it mentally, tried to feel it, and through it feel Depth Charge, but there was a kind of wall he didn't want to go near. A new feature, so to speak, in his spark chamber he might be able to manipulate if he tried, but he didn't know what it did. It – it frightened him. There was something new that was done to him and he couldn't comprehend it. The spark wasn't an option for now.

He suddenly felt the desperation and fear he'd felt in the labs or when Megatron had had his spark in that tiny cage creep up on him. It was horrible, pain aside, to feel so helpless. He hated this state more than not having information he wanted! With difficulty he escaped the mess that was and moved on with his contemplation.

He had to do something to be closer to the answers but he couldn't just pop out and ask questions! No one gave answers for free, not the scientists or Depth Charge or Megatron or anyone he'd killed answered his questions so he stopped asking, and if he asked now, it would mean he'd failed in that personal mission. So it had to be something else.

As Depth Charge and Airazor argued about the hostage, Rampage toyed with some options he'd thought of on the way here. Hmm, if Depth Charge didn't know that half his spark was missing – the slag was _up with that_? – the ray might try to kill X without knowing it might kill him too. In that case, his enemy would be dead and maybe the others would have a way off the planet he could 'commandeer' later. Rampage couldn't die because he still had his spark and his healing abilities. After the ray was dead, he could fight off the femme and peruse through Depth Charge's pockets, so to speak, to find that spark! And find out what he'd done to make himself "invisible."

He looked at Inferno's remains, the spark beating slow and weak. Would the Maximals value an enemy's life enough to try to save him from the brink of death simply because they didn't want him to suffer a more dire fate at Protoform X's hands? Or maybe just on Maximal principle? That's what the argument behind the tree sounded like! Maybe the ant could be used in a kind of trade for credit or something. If the ray attacked, then it was his funeral. Or lack of one. Otherwise, maybe he had a chance at leaving Earth and finding freedom elsewhere. Slim chance with Depth Charge around, but he could try by using more peaceful means. Bide his time. Wait. He could wait for freedom a little longer right?

He took his missile launchers and threw them around the pine, catching the two Maximals' attention. He then stood carefully and with his arms raised came out, his face serious and the lump still clutched to his shoulder. They were staring.

"Actually, I … wish to join you, old friend. I have nothing to lose on this Planet but not much to gain either. I want off. That's what you plan to do right? I want a ride off Earth and I'm willing to help do what needs to be done to get that ride."

"Nice try, X, I'm not falling for that," the Guardian interjected hotly. His tail set own the pod and he walked forward gingerly, weapons ready to fire. He couldn't take the crabbot prisoner, he didn't have the means to do that. And he couldn't kill him either. So he'd have to disable him somehow, fight him til X ran away and left them alone again. He'd hunt him down later. Although, he could be damaged…or the pod damaged too…

"There's nothing to fall for," X sniped. "What do you think I'm going to do, fishstick? Murder everyone on the planet and be left alone for eons with nothing to do til the Autobots wake up? If they wake up?"

"So you're surrendering to stay _entertained_?" Depth Charge spat though X had a point. The whole wandering a planet alone thing was the Axalon's secret mission that Depth Charge had decided wasn't a fit punishment in the first place. And then there was the timeline thing. Slag-sucking ape…

Rampage shook his head.

"Oh, I'm not surrendering. I'm offering my assistance in exchange for a free trip off this dustball."

Depth Charge snorted.

"I'd have to take you anyway. You can't stick around Ancient Earth without consequence…"

"Exactly. Wouldn't you rather a helping hand than fighting me again, wasting energy, and resources, and energon and stuff to kill me? And you don't exactly have a place to lock me up either. Oh, and then there's manual labor you might need, should there be no ready-made ship to take under your command."

Depth Charge paused. It was something that had crossed his mind before. Now that he knew Rhinox's machinery, the ships, and other things were gone with the Maximals, they might need to scrounge up leftovers and attempt a new ship, or at least a kind of probe… A probe with a nice big present to send back to Cybertron inside a prettily wrapped stasis pod so some messenger bot can set it in front of Primal in the middle of some press conference with flowers, bananas, a couple bunnies inside and a sizeable spare remora gun with a message written on the side, 'Get the _frag_ back here. _Now_.'

If they found large pieces of debris, another strong helper could come in handy, as well as someone who could help with the wiring and gathering the Maximals' leftovers, and other things they might need to do…. But this was X… a deal like this was not right. He needed to be put offline... and … locked up? X was right. Short of killing him there wasn't much he could do. Knocking the bot out was a desperate move since it took a lot to damage him enough and Depth Charge could suffer. Airazor was there but Depth Charge wasn't including her in his plans here except thatshe could be injured. X was dangerous... And this was his fight. So what did the ray do now?

"Here, how about I help you make your decision?" Rampage said helpfully, but sarcasm laced the tone.

"Slag off."

"I have Inferno here with me. He's dying, you know. But he's alive. How about I hand him over? I also know where several other bots are, I could take you to them. Would that prove my intent?"

Depth Charge glared though he was seriously surprised he was even considering this. This was _wrong._ He'd been about to just jump the mech anyway and take the risk but now…what if X really did know where other bots were? The Guardian had suspected for a time that there was some way the mech he was hunting could sense others, a special scanner, maybe a spark ability. Either way, X had managed to hunt down every single one of his victims no matter where they were and even the smartest and strongest bots couldn't do that without some help. So if X knew where other bots… If Depth Charge refused X's help, but couldn't kill him and X got away, it was likely the crab would permanently offline anyone that could help Depth Charge so he was left the only candidate anyway. Or hold them hostage for real. Or a number of things he could do while Depth Charge wasn't around to keep an optic on him.

He refused to turn and look at Airazor. It would leave him open for attack and what did her opinion matter anyway? She was calm, if worried, and watchful, as Tigatron was in his – That was really weird. Depth Charge needed to stop making assumptions about what his companions over there were thinking. They would likely help him out no matter what he chose since they needed his help and his theirs.

"You… can…" It was so hard to say, and he ground it out as if it choked him. Anger welled up inside him but he tried not to show it too much. Just enough to show he meant serious business. "You can come with us, but you stay in front of us at all times and you do what I say, when I say it. The first thing we're doing is going where Airazor says there might be equipment to salvage. Then we'll go looking. And you can _'prove your intent'_ by _holding on_ to your Pred buddy and _not_ doing anything to him. _Anything_."

He stepped forward, daring X to make a move. He honestly expected an attack.

"One wrong move and I will be after you again. You _will_ be destroyed."

X nodded solemnly, though his optics watched curiously as Depth Charge backed away, keeping X in his sight.

Rampage inwardly smirked humorlessly. Guess Depth Charge had more control than he thought. He'd still have to be careful about taunting or he might set him off and this pseudo-surrender wouldn't work.

"You're letting him keep Inferno?" Airazor asked, a little concerned. She wasn't fond of the mech at all, but shouldn't he be in their hands? Not Rampage's?

"I can't carry a stasis pod, my guns, _and_ Inferno. And I need _you_ to fly unobstructed," Depth Charge answered shortly.

Airazor nodded, still unsure, but Depth Charge knew Rampage better than she did so…with another look at the stasis pod while Depth Charge picked it up again with his tail, Airazor lifted into the air, transformed, and was off into the sky.

Depth Charge gestured with his guns.

"Yeah, I'm going," Rampage said turning around and following the silver bird above. As he left, the blue Guardian subspaced the missile launchers, though not convinced Rampage was truly disarmed.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

They walked in silence for about another megacycle before they heard the ocean waves again and a cry from Airazor signaled she'd found what she was looking for. The two walking didn't hurry, though, very aware of each others actions. Rampage, for one, was very disappointed as Depth Charge most certainly didn't know about their sparks. He'd likely have to provoke they ray into thinking about it. All he'd need to see was the Guardian's face when he asked, 'So, why is half your spark in my chest?' and from there he could fine tune his questions to really solve this problem. But he had to wait. It just didn't feel like the right time to ask - he had to catch the ray when he wasn't ready to snipe him the second he opened his mouth. For now, he'd enjoy his friend's jumpiness.

Depth Charge was extremely alert and every little thing X did, every little look when he turned his head or when he stepped over a rock instead of kicking it away, came under suspicion. A couple times, the crab had turned to catch a glimpse of Depth Charge and DC nearly shot him. X obviously thought this was highly amusing but hadn't said anything at all.

They both finally came out near a rocky beach. Tall ragged walls of rock jutted out of the Earth here and there and dark sand stretched over the shore and into the water. The sun indicated midafternoon, meaning the day would suddenly go faster. Due to the Earth's rotation, once the Sun hit a certain point of the sky, evening seemed to come swiftly, in a matter of a couple megacycles even. So the scene was covered in a kind of timeless light, the still gold of the Sun just before Night started to invade enhanced by the cool breeze off the sea.

The part they were headed for was a cave set into a grassy cliff. Sizeable rocks were scattered around, charred, as if something had blown it up from the inside.

Airazor landed gently and waited for the other two to catch up before speaking.

"This is it. This is where we got Tigerhawk's body and met up with Optimus and Cheetor. From here we went back to base and then the Nemesis…"

"Tch. Primal left _this_ mess here too," Depth Charge answered, stopping and setting the stasis pod down. He glanced at X, then at the cave, then Airazor. "You go in and have a look around, I'll keep an optic on the murderer here."

Airazor hesitated but nodded, still uneasy about the crustacean, and raised her weapons before entering.

"Sending her in alone, old friend? That's not very gentlemanly," Rampage observed aloud before he kicked himself mentally to shut up.

Depth Charge twitched and leered again.

"_Try me_, X," he hissed hatefully. "Just _push_ me and we'll see where your spark ends up this time."

Rampage's head snapped over to gaze at Depth Charge, searching his face for a clue. He'd mentioned his spark…

but…

SLAG! He didn't seem to know what he was _saying_! This was getting _ridiculous_! It was his _spark_! How could he not know!!? Rampage's hands clenched in anger but he looked away as the raybot watched him with suspiciously. However, something unusual was in that cave…

And whether he noted it consciously or not, Depth Charge knew it too.

--

Inside the cave, Airazor crouched as she reached a corner, gun drawn. She counted to three silently before whipping around the corner, gun held at chest level. No one. The walls were cracked or burned and skeletons of lab equipment littered the walls. It was dark, she was just able to make out color, barely lit by tiny lights held at the end of…those little arachnoid things! Tarantulas!

She instantly stiffened, even more alert, about to radio Depth Charge, but she noticed the arachnoids were damaged and unmoving. She poked one, then jumped back with her gun trained on it. No movement. She relaxed the tiniest bit and pushed further. Cheetor had told Tigerhawk that Tarantulas was dead at some point. She remembered that. So he shouldn't be here.

The main part of the lair was round, all one room, but there were a couple tunnels in the back. Keeping the tunnels in sight and checking the ceiling for any giggling giant tarantulas, she scouted the room with quick and deliberate movements. She saw tattered remains of what might be armor all over the floor but in the dark it was hard to tell. Some places had strings of webbing that were dark blue, out of charge. The remains of a large gun was barely standing in the left end of the lab, with shattered glass and twisted metal shards In the last corner she checked, she found various sharp tools and what looked like some kind of torture devices.

"Creepy," she muttered, backing away.

Now for the tunnels.

There were two tunnels. One was located almost directly across from the main entrance tunnel. The other was carved at an angle into the wall with a tree root covering it from immediate sight in the right side of the labs, near a table of beakers. That one seemed to emanate hostility. She felt like someone was watching her from there, but she saw no optics or anything even when she adjusted her optical lenses. She shivered and chased the fear away. Something distant in her memories made her naturally afraid of the scientist. Gun still out she maneuvered her way down the first tunnel. It was short and opened up into a small round room. While the tunnel's walls were black like the rest of the place, the room's walls were still brown as if th explosion didn't reach here. She scooted inside the room. Silver tables lined the walls and in the center was an open stasis pod. Her optics widened at the site, then spun around ready to blast whatever might be behind her!

Nothing.

The pod's controls were dim and it sat at an angle. From her position now she could see a few other pods on the wall juxtaposed to the doorway, hooked up and held in place by dim blue webbing. They looked damaged, blackened and caked various substances. Where hd he found all of them? And where were the Maximals? One loked like it had leftover protoform inside, the metal warped and energon-decayed, the front of the stasis pod broken as if the poor guy had tried to escape without letting the pod scan first. A few more tables and some equipment had been thrown against the wall, the metal tables bent at odd angles, dirt covering them, broken bottles and beakers streaked along the ground. She was starting to think something or someone woke up in here rather angry… Could it have been Tarantulas? an experiment? Or something else?

She kneeled and touched the dirt near some broken beakers.

It was still wet.

She jumped up. Something _was_ in here with her! She glanced upward, but saw no one. The other tunnel then! Whatever, or whoever, it was likely could be found lurking in the other tunnel and it probably knew she was here. Kicking herself for her naivity she moved cautiously towards the door, but a blinking made her look back into the room.

A stasis pod that wasn't open yet! And it didn't look damaged!

Glancing at the archway for a moment, she ran over and checked inside. She could faintly see the shimmer of a protoform but the control panel said there was no spark. A blank. Yes! But did Tarantulas toy with it?

She hooked a diagnostic line from her temple to the pod's computer and ran a scan. No Predacon reprogramming as far as she could tell. While that was running, she opened a side panel and peered inside. No Predacon chip either. In fact, it looked just how Rhinox said it should look. Thank Primus for his training! The diagnostic finished running a nano later and told her that the pod had landed a day before, and that the spark had been terminated by a User who had changed the spark's settings in such a way that it couldn't sustain … Oh no, the spark terminated not 7 megacycles ago because someone wanted it dead, but the protoform alive! She gasped loudly at the revelation that this bot could have been alive just today. Murder! But, who? If Tarantulas was – A scraping came from behind her.

She froze.

The faint whoosh of something sailing through the air reached her audios and she ducked, kicking out with her right foot. She hit something and it cried out, staggering back. She fired a few shots at it and it roared. Grabbing the stasis pod, she dragged it towards the entrance, shooting into the dark as she went. Something heavy landed on the end of the pod, but she fired arm cannons at and it slid off. What the Pit _was_ that thing!?

She radioed Depth Charge as she saw large red optics leap out from the second tunnel. Firing more shots into the dark, she finally wrestled the new stasis pod outside.

Depth Charge had his guns aimed at the cave and Rampage actually had a missile launcher. Just one though.

"The Pit's going on?" the ray demanded, strange noises coming from inside the cave.

"Something's in there! No two! One seemed to have come from a stasis pod, the other I don't know. Besides this one, the other stasis pods were damaged or empty!" she reported briefly, dragging the pod over behind Depth Charge.

"It's Tarantulas's labs and he had some crashed pods in there. I didn't detect any tampering with this pod so I'm going to move Tigatron over to it," she finished.

Depth Charge was going to turn to reply, but shots flew from the cave and he moved his fins to cover the femme and pods behind him. Rampage took Inferno from his shoulder and tossed him behind DC too, where the twitching lump landed with a thud. He too aimed at the cave but didn't shoot just yet. What was it?

Out came … what looked like … Tarantulas. A very _mauled_ Tarantulas.

"Primus, what happened to him?" Airazor breathed when she got a glimpse.

The body was held together by thick welds that crossed the entire frame, as if he'd blown up in a million pieces then somehow managed to put himself together with a giant blowtorch. Tiny pieces, huge welds, all warping the nervous receptors in his armor to such a degree that he was in phenomenal pain but functional. The legs weren't on right and he limped, his arms had his original body's claws that clacked unpleasantly as he stumbled forward. His head was also from before Transmetalization.

Rampage didn't feel sorry for him, despite the pain he could feel from this one's presence, but he was curious. There seemed to be something else inside the mech's body, a puppeteer stuck in with the spider's spark.

Tarantulas yelled something incomprehensible and whipped out two cannons and all his 16 spider legs, the long transmetal ones and the short original, all unfolded from his back at awkward angles and he opened fire, pelting the small group with lasers and bullets. The larger two ducked but Airazor, still hidden by Depth Charge who was taking the attack while retaliating from behind his fin, typed hurriedly into the stasis pod computers.

"Come on, come on," she mumbled. It was likely as idiotic move, but she had no idea how much firepower Tarantulas had on him over there and then there was whatever that other thing was inside. Tigatron was sending strong vibes that he wanted out now, they could use help, Tigatron could be vaporized if Depth Charge moved so Airazor took her chance.

She opened Tigatron's pod, then the other pod. She made te prongs retract from Tigatron's spark and held her hands out as guides. While a depolarized spark could exist for a time on its own, a properly polarized spark had to have a spark chamber to stabilize it. So with her hands to help guide it since she had no tools to move it, she very hurriedly and without injury to her love, placed it inside the other pod just as there was a break in the volley. An explosion shook the ground and she looked up to see Tarantulas fly to the side and land to the side of the cave, limbs flailing as he screeched, his legs torn apart.

The pod lid closed and light flashed from inside, but she couldn't watch as a mechanical click-whirring filled the air and Depth Charge was thrown backwards, sailing over her and hitting the ground just on the other side of the pod. Airazor dove right to cover Inferno as she heard the pod hiss open and a bright flash of navy blue, crimson red, and sun yellow moved over the prone manta ray, scratching and tearing at his chest. It was a fraggin' giant cicada, its heavy armor not relenting under her arm cannon's fire while she lay over the blackened ant's chest area.

Depth Charge struggled, yelling in pain and fury, shooting his chest's discs into the thing's stomach. He'd lost his rifles when the thing had tackled him, unexpectedly zipping out from the cave. He tried to reach his hands to the creature's shining optics to punch them in but it clamped down on his right arm. His left arm moved to free its fellow appendage but that's when X tried to lift the thing off. The cicada backhanded the crab who flew back on his skidplate in surprise before turning to ravage the left arm too, mech fluid dripping from its mandibles.

The thing wasn't that big but it was strong and had an unnatural force at its core that Rampage could sense. A force a lot like Tigerhawk's when the emissary had first landed and blew apart the Darksyde. Was this thing one of the Vok? Deciding he needed the insect away from wherever Depth Charge was keeping his spark, pulled out the missile launcher the manta had reluctantly returned to him earlier.

But then the creature froze.

Literally.

A thick layer of ice travelled across its injured belly and rear end and it shivered, screeching at the sudden temperature.

Tigatron crouched in a battle ready stance at its back. His newly Transmetal ice rifle was raised and his mint green head cocked to the side, one red optic narrowed, about to pull the trigger.

At once, Tigatron shot the thing in the back, while Airazor and Rampage shot it from the side, and Depth Charge shot it from underneath. Due to the force of the crab's missiles and the ray's pizzas, the thing went flying back past Tigatron's left and landed near Tarantulas, where it sparked and fizzled.

Tigatron and Airazor grinned, exchanging silent greetings, but their attention returned to the cicada as it cracked the ice and stretched violently. Scuttling over to Tarantulas, it ripped into the spider's chest and opened its own spark chamber despite it smoking from the discs Depth Charge had shot into it. Something sinewy bled from the mad scientist's spark and slid like some ethereal snake into the insect's chest.

"The Vok!" Airazor yelled angrily. It dropped Tarantulas, who was hissing and moaning in agony and fear, before beating its large wings and zipping out of there, the Maximals shooting after it.

As soon as it was out of range and then out of sight, the Maximals relaxed a moment, though the threat was fresh on their minds.

"That was some alarm to wake up to," Tigatron said softly, helping his lady to her feet. She smiled warmly.

"Glad to have ya back," she commented gratefully, but her expression turned to one of surprise at what she saw over her bonded's shoulder.

"Depth Charge, your chest!"

They ray'd just gotten to his feet when he noticed a blue shimmer. Pit-spawned bug almost got to his spark!, he thought angrily as he looked down. But what he saw wasn't just an exposed spark.

Rather, it was an exposed spark that was glistening brightly as it sealed up the chamber around it, then the armor, until it looked no gashes had been there at all. Same with his arms and shoulders. Scratches his fins took were gone in seconds and the dent he'd received to the forehead popped out and smoothed over. As he lifted hands in front of his face, he was hit by déjà vu – just this morning he'd been on a beach, looking at his hands, in perfectly pristine condition. He had healed perfectly after a huge blast that had happened only 2 days before that should have killed _anyone_ and it hadn't occurred to him at the time that maybe he too should have died.

Should have killed anyone.

Anyone.

With great apprehension, he lifted his wide ruby optics to the emerald ones watching him with awe, curiosity, confusion, and … betrayal?

He was suddenly hit with a memory, a very vivid memory, of the energon crystal in his hands; raw energon he'd simply ripped from a stray spire. He'd pushed it into his enemy's spark who'd . . . let go . . . and the darn thing had glowed and shivered but…

_The energon crystal should have detonated, but while raw energon was a crude crystal, it was still crystal, and had certain elements in its atomic design that allowed the conduction and storage of energy. That was, after all, why it was called 'energon' was it not? The crystallized form of the stuff, similar to quartz, channeled and stored energy from its surroundings within its atoms. Unlike quartz, it made itself grow larger with that energy instead being pressurized into shape and stored more and more energy until it had so much, a little disturbance could release that energy explosively. The crystal had to be converted into cubes that refined and liquefied the element and could then be converted into other forms later. _

_Sparks had physical presence and were dense balls of light and energy that are hardy and filled with a living being's essence. This energy, however, could be conducted or dispersed like any other, given the right circumstances. Circumstances that no one had known until that fateful day, when an immortal spark, not able to die from the influx of energy, had not only been pierced with the raw crystal, which might have been able to disperse it should it be allowed to explode, but it had been aimed in a specific direction as it was driven in – at Depth Charge's spark as the ray crouched over him. The energon had acted as a conductor and the two sparks were forced to bond, sharing their essence with each other, back and forth until they reached an equilibrium._

_They could only know, deep in their shared sparks, that when this happened, Dinobot had died. The spark left his chest through a subspace-like field, similar to what allows bonded sparks to feel each other across long distances, and was channeled back to Rampage outside where it was fused again with its other half and then joined with Depth Charge's. Dinobot's body, highly advanced in design, was able to stay activated with what was left of Rampage's sparkforce as it filtered out of him and inherited the memories of the original Dinobot given to him by Rattrap not long before that battle. The explosion underwater certainly dealed out great injury, which was why Depth Charge couldn't remember much during the explosion except his fins floating towards the surface and taking stock of the damage as he crawled away from the crabbot's remains to go offline. He'd been literally in tatters, but his newly immortal spark had pulled his pieces back together in two days while he recharged._

_That's what Depth Charge remembered right now, the memory his traumatized mind had blocked from his consciousness, the memory of having his spark pulled from his chest against his will because of the laws of physics and forcefully fused with his enemy's. He'd known. He'd known this whole time, but he'd blocked it out until something confronted him with the unmistakable evidence of his new bondmate. _

And like the wall was suddenly made out of badly fired clay, it crumbled to pieces and in a flood of emotion only accessing a hidden part of one's own soul could unlock Depth Charge was keenly aware of Rampage's presence inside himself and vice versa.

X – no _Rampage_ now - backed away, reeling in surprise at the instant unveiling. Depth Charge did the same, shaking his head slowly, then faster as he tried to make it false.

No.

No.

No!

This can't have – this wasn't possible. There was no way! But the memory was there! He'd known what was happening and he'd edited that part of this badly made film out! But now he'd found it again and he was desperately trying to lose it. Trying to hide it from himself. He couldn't handle – And the feelings. They were faint, nowhere near as vivid as Rampage could feel them, but they were there, all around him. He tried to push them out but he wasn't exactly at his strongest mentally right now and before he knew it, he'd turned and was stomping fiercely towards the forest again, anger as he'd never felt it before gripping him and twisting his spark. After all he'd done! After all the work and the Council and the hunting and Omicron and chasing Primal and pushing the Maximals around and actually managing to get his chance at killing the monster he goes and – and – Now he was a freak! A freak of nature! A monster! Unforgiveable! Unbelievable!

Explosions could be heard from where Tigatron and Airazor watched, hands joined tightly in worry. They could faintly hear shouting too but couldn't make out the words.

They watched silently as Rampage clutched his chest, same as he had this morning, but now he was far more shocked than he had been then. He sunk to the ground, the anger of his old friend tugging at his emotions with far more strength now than they had through empathy and a couple snatches of words, the contempt and angst and hate towards him and what Depth Charge considered himself to be now, striking into him with a hurt he didn't know how to block out and didn't know the ray could make him feel. From his knees he settled down onto the grass, not even minding the few rocks that poked him. . He too had seen the memory Depth Charge had had, but couldn't understand why … this was so bad. Well, he _did_, but to him it did not have the connotation and meaning behind it that Depth Charge seemed so aware of. He might be connected to him now, somehow, something he found uncomfortable and fascinating at once, but he couldn't get into his head to find out why the manta ray would lose it like he was doing now… He could only stare out after Depth Charge, his crablegs curling around his shoulders, unconsciously comforting himself, as he tried to understand what this meant, alone in his ignorance and shock.

"We should do something with Tarantulas," Tigatron noted quietly after a moment and Airazor nodded, looking to see if the spider was still there. He was, looking terrified and babbling to himself.

With a last uncertain look at the silent crab, Airazor went to scope out the cave thoroughly, finding an energon dispenser and plenty enough tools to try to patch the place up for their purposes. Tigatron moved Tarantulas closer to the cave but stayed outside to keep a watchful, if disapproving, optic on the smoking forest. He checked the arachnid's vitals as he listened to the agony filled babbling. They'd have to fix him up if they were going to learn anything from him about the cicada and the Vok. Tarantulas had always known more about the Vok than anyone and with two running around the countryside, they needed to know as much as possible on top of what little Airazor and Tigatron knew from their little vacation. Their group here could be in very real danger…

Just inside the cave on a lab table, where Airazor had put him a few cycles before - burnt, broken, beaten, and squished - Inferno's dark lump of a body squirmed. The wires contorted, trying to move limbs that weren't there, while the ends of circuits sizzled as they tried to connect to a processor that was still missing. His spark was weakening, but his Will was not.

He was trying to come back online.

--

* * *

--

**A/N:**

_Kind of long A/N this time to explain some things. I wanted to say some things about the chapter, but I might not remember all of it. :looks at size of paragraph: 6_6 Yeaaah, I think I did…. _

_First, I looked up the Vok and it turns out that no one really made an official origin story or gave their Experiment a definition. Apparently, the Vok feel like some police force of the timesteam (Megatron's charges) but also they get mad at the War on their Planet and try to destroy it. They also kidnap Transformers. __**SO**__, I'm making up my own thing for them and rolling with it as I go. I won't be thorough, since the show wasn't thorough, but what Tarantulas will "know" is likely a mix of what I read and what I made up. Those things are powerful creatures and very smart, and from what we see in the show, I think they're kinda like ghost scientists who are messing around with the world. I'll think about it, but for now, they're bad guys who obviously have to get used to their bodies and get familiar with transforming or something, cuz otherwise, biting people won't work after a while. -_-' So more on them later. Suggestions would help! Also, what would they name themselves? Prolly TF names… Secondly, the whole thing with Rampage in there joining, I hope turned out ok. It looks ok to me, but I apologize if it's weak. I was really stuck on that part of the chapter, having to keep them IC and also coming up with good reasons for him to join. I figure his ache for his spark back and answers should be enough though and then once he has them he can run or kill them, or whatever he was planning. 8D I almost had the finding-out-part at that part in the story, but it didn't feel right, so I saved it for the end.I also hope his internal deterioration into worry and desperation makes sense and worked out well too. Seems to me he'd start out confidently thinking he'd be okay, but by the time he's faced with DC and really can't find out what's going on short of asking and hurting his pride and exposing how little he knows about some stuff, he'd be pretty desperate. His quick thinking would allow him to come up with a temporary solution though, I think and tat's what he did there. Dunno if that was clear, but I tried. XD Thirdly, Airazor kind of took a step in the background there for a bit and then Tigatron wasn't given too many lines there, but don't worry, I plan on exploring their relationship with each other and other people in this fic. :D I really liked them but they weren't given char development. What do they fight about? What don't they like about each other? Who would they get along with without their old friends here? And how do they take to DC's leadership? So far, Airazor's been pretty compliant, but as they face new challenges and DC has to find the Inner Leader in him again that might change. Their being bonded, I hope you saw, is a contrast to Rampage/DC's relationship I want to juxtapose as well. Therefore, they'll come to the forefront in subsequent episodes. :3 I want to make them interesting, in other words. Fourthly, I HAD to write that last little bit with Inferno in closing. First episode of the second season? His severed head's optics blinked online and __**he put himself**__ back together. His awesome sacrifice (I thought he died) at the end of the second season? He was __**functional**__ if damaged next episode, stumbling out and reporting to the royalty. SO FERAKIN' AWESOME. Primus, the guy's practically immortal himself. Thus, why I'm bringing him back. He's been thrown around and flamed and beaten and stepped on and whatever this whole time, too, so I wanted him to make a kind of conceptual comeback here, even if he's not totally back yet. He's dying, Rampage says, but he's as strong as he ever was. :3 As I wrote that just now, I thought, "Why didn't I bring him back completely then if that's the tradition?" but the chapter's already written and I have to find a way to bring him back that isn't so cheesily convenient as another stasis pod. :O Fifthly, I hope Depth Charge's reaction in the end was okay. I didn't want him going off to be emo or angsty or…lol! Happy! So I made him very, very angry. At himself, at the world, at Rampage, Primal, everyone. I threw his contempt for Rampage in there as well. I thought he was the only one in the series who really took Rampage as a threat and thought of him as a person. And yet, he seemed to have a form of contempt for him under his hate, like he was a bug, a little nuisance that should have been squashed long ago, but kept getting away and that's all he was; a criminal, not a victim. So I threw that in there, and what do you know? Rampage's feelings are hurt. Awww! D: At first it seemed OOC to me, but considering they're bonded now and that wall Depth Charge subconsciously put up between them is gone, for now, and how Rampage is able to feel around him and is more in tune with sparks and all that, but Depth Charge isn't so aware of his or others feelings with or without empathy, he strikes me as being more sensitive to those accusations of monster and stuff right now than he normally would be. Possibly, when he says 'old friend' he really means old friend in the only way he could ever know, considering his past. So DC's words might hurt him to an extent, before he gets his wits back and blocks it out….to an extent. Lesse, is there a "sixthly?" Uhh, Tigatron doesn't have a TM form, so I'm making it up. XD It'll be sort of described in the next chapter, but vague enough you all can make your own mental image. :D OH YEAH, and one more: Seventhly, Tarantulas is here, in great pain, his body blown apart and welded together by the Vok, then he was controlled by them the last couple days…considering how hateful he was towards them and how he seemed to fear them a lot, I imagine he's gotta be in the metaphorical Pit right now. D: Not that he, in a way, doesn't deserve it since he's so…mad and…creepy…but he's so cool somehow. XD He's a fave of mine too. :'D We'll have to deal with his loopiness for now before he regains his 'sanity' and ICness later. XD Oh yes there's an eightly: I hope it's coming across that DC, while I think he had a grudging respect towards Primal to a degree, I don't think it was entirely sincere -_-' and now he's mad at him. -_-' I wonder how that'll effect his own leadership. :3_

_OH! NINTHLY! I'm _really_ sorry, lots of explaining I'm fitting here x_x, but the sparkbond explanation. It was made to sort of be a flashback, but a flashback to also explain how the slag it happened and what happened to Dinobot. Basically, when the energon exploded, they were torn apart, but were still connected because of the energon crystal. While that was happening, Dinobot's half drained away but he was kept online as the first Dinobot's memories took over in the form of a kind of A.I. allowing him to function despite not having a spark. He fulfilled his duty and then died with his salute. Perhaps in the far future, Starscream found his body in the Nemesis and harassed Soundwave for leaving another cassette lying around, and an ugly cassette at that. XD ( To them anyways. I don't think he's so bad looking. TM DB's beast mode is -_-' I hate it, but not the robot mode so much. I still prefer original DB's incarnation, of course, SO MUCH BETTER! ……DINOBOT ROOOOOOOOOOOOCCCKKKKSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! : 'DDDD) DC and Rampage were able to remember up to when DB regained his old persona but after that the explanation if for the reader. They don't know what happened to him afterwards. Meanwhile, the their sparks reached equilibrium and the crystal exploded, sending them flying apart and DC dragged himself over that dune at the beginning of Part One were he woke up two days later. Whhheeewww….Is that explanation satisfactory? Got suggestions? Does it make sense? Should I add anything? _

_Aaahhh….so our group gets a little bigger and they have a place to crash in and a couple crazy aliens running around and a few more allies to find. Huzzah. _

_Lemme know whatcha think or that you're reading or critique or anything! :D Also, if you find a discrepancy in references to the show, tell me in a review or PM so I can either fix it or explain it questions my A/Ns didn't answer! Thank you! :D _

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	5. Ep2 Resolutions, Part One

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Beast Wars. Do I have to say that every chapter? D: _

**A/N:**

_This chapter was HARD to write. Partly because I'm adjusting into staying at my parents' apartment for the summer and partly because the interaction in this chapter was difficult to get right. I had to rewrite a lot of this chapter about 8 times, no kidding. The Rampage vs. Airazor and DC vs. Tigatron bits were hard to do. I was planning for something a little more in depth than what I have here but I figured – "Hey…HEY!!? DAL!!? :slap: this is only the second part of the story, geez! Get a grip! There'll be char development later, don't rush it. Don't rush it. It's okay if it feels a little shallow right now, that's how it is." SO, I went with that and settled for light convo with more thought than action, while …still trying to keep it balanced. It seems a little choppy with the scene cuts here. I think they're wayyyyy better than how I had them 8 rewrites ago, though, so I'm not changing it. XD SO, next chapter I get back onto more familiar territory. _

_This new episode is called Resolutions. Here we have each character deciding on what they feel their purpose, duty, or plan is and then we see how those ideas start to change or take shape as the episode goes on. This first part focuses on their thoughts and how the characters start forming their opinions about each other, right or wrong. Sets things up for plot and development later. Next part is where the action starts up annnd … well, we'll see. ;D heh heh! _

_I'd like to say thank you to my reviewers! :D Your comments are highly valued! :3 And also thank you to those who faved or story alerted it! Glad to know you like it/willing to follow it! :D Ah, and someone put me on their fave Author's list! I'm very grateful! :hugs:_

_Enjoy! And please let me know if you like/dislike/how to improve/ things you'd like to see happen down the road maybe, ideas, suggestions, etc. ;D _

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact**

**Episode 2**

**Resolutions, Part One**

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"Keehhheeehehe!! Bllooorrrgghhhhblll…"

"He laughs even as he suffers," Tigatron noted morosely as he crouched in front of the spider.

At first, Tarantulas's suffering had only bothered them as much as it could for the Maximals to hear a fellow bot in pain, considering their history with the arachnid. But after about a day of nothing but agonized cackling, little snippets of muttering, and the occasionally _plead_, it was getting disturbing and very distressing.

"We can't keep him like this," Airazor responded glumly. "He's a big _creep_ but he shouldn't have to suffer. That has got to be… _horrible_..."

"I know," her bonded nodded, "Keeping him in this state is…it feels wrong. We need to do something but I don't know how to repair him," he added with desperation evident in his voice.

The two looked at each other while they thought.

They were standing near Tarantulas, who was lying on a berth just next to the tunnel entrance. The inside of the large room had been cleared out of debris, and soot and other residue from the explosion had been chipped away and dumped outside as well. Leftover bits of technology had been collected and put into a large beaker. All whole pieces of equipment and usable remains were on more tables in the center of the room, to be looked over later. It was still pretty dark, but some adjustments on the arachnoid things had made them brighter, lighting the place in a soft yellow glow.

Tigatron sighed.

"I think I may have to go try to talk to Depth Charge again. We need to stick together; we do not know what the Vok have in mind for us but it can't be good. And with the group split up we cannot make decisions…"

Airazor nodded, her back stiffening somewhat. She'd been getting tenser and angrier with the ray the longer they had to wait for him to come back. She'd gone to talk to him twice, but he wouldn't listen and pushed her away with rude comments and a generally flippant and caustic attitude.

"And if he doesn't cooperate?" she asked.

"Then we will have to take matters into our own hands. Somehow. We cannot just sit here and wait while other stasis pods are out there and the Vok are planning their next move. These two need help," he gestured to Inferno and Tarantulas, "We _cannot_ keep our silence any longer," he answered with conviction, and Airazor's gaze hardened as she agreed. "You try to talk to Rampage. Try to see if he knows anything useful. But be _careful_. We do not know what he is capable of."

Airazor nodded. Depth Charge hadn't explained the whole Protoform X story to her, only the basics, but it was terrifying anyway. The hate in the ray's voice was also intimidating and added to the atmosphere, but at the time, her main concern was Tigatron, so her fear was pushed aside. She had to admit, though, that she'd become more uneasy over the past 26 megacycles without Depth Charge there to keep an optic on Rampage. She couldn't exactly say she trusted the ray completely, but he was more prepared to handle the mech's threat than two recently resurrected and comparably small bots. So, it was only natural for her to feel a certain degree of safety with the larger mech around. She believed in Tigatron's abilities as a warrior, but what about Rampage's smarts? His firepower? How much damage does he have to take before giving up? How fast can he heal and how does it effect his fighting? Those and other questions were unanswered and weighed more heavily on her, and Tigatron's, minds every megacycle that passed. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle this, but she used her frustration and nervousness regarding the other pods and the Vok to press her apprehension about the crab out of the way. She'd do what she had to do.

Tigatron touched Airazor's shoulder gently before turning to exit the cave. He blinked into the afternoon sunlight as his filters adjusted. Looking around, he could see Rampage down near the water doing something with the sand and studied him carefully before muttering, "Beast mode."

His new form was like a cross between his original frame and Tigerhawk's, but minus the bird bits. His coloring was white, black, and mint green, with a little purple thrown in there. Like Airazor, his first thought had been that it felt more powerful than before, like more systems were hooked up to a newer and faster processor, with more space to 'move' in, so to speak. But he didn't like it. In this mode, he was an odd tiger, a metallic intruder with all shiny parts and no fur. But this is what he had and it would help his mate and his … new team … so he could deal with it. He _would_ deal with it. He wished Optimus was here to handle the crisis but he wasn't. In fact, Tigatron couldn't help but shake the feeling that his friends were facing more danger. But he knew things fell into the place how they were meant to happen and so all he could do was follow where this path led and face the challenges that confronted him with a strong spark and steady mind. That was how he could help them for now and he silently vowed he would. There were things to take care of here and he would see to it they were tended to.

He approached the forest beyond the beach with his thoughts in calm order and smelled burning wood.

"Hmm, he's back to shooting things? I do not hear his gun," he thought aloud. Nor did he hear the large bot's movement. "Perhaps…he is ready to listen."

With a last glance back at the beach, he entered the woods on silent paws.

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Airazor pulled herself from her thoughts, having been trying to plan what she was going to say. But she gave up knowing she was better at winging it than preparing speeches. She'd just approach the mech with respect and try to talk to him like he was the civil mech he seemed to be able to act like since she met him.

She looked over Tarantulas again, who was watching her. She tilted her head. Was he trying to say something?

"Yes?" she asked, keeping her distance but very attentive.

His head trembled with effort as he tried desperately to form words around a mangled vocalizer. But he ultimately failed and gasped, his head falling back and hitting the table. His legs were still twisted up from Rampage's missile which must have added to his discomfort and his huge array of spider legs were splayed all over the place under him, moving weakly. Airazor shook her head in reluctant sympathy, then turned and exited the cave, picking her way cautiously towards the ocean when she spotted the large red bot at the ocean's edge.

Rampage was in robot mode, kneeling on wet sand where the waves would rush up around him every few moments. His hands hovered over the moist ground, waiting for the moment to strike – although, what it was he seemed to be hunting wasn't clear.

Airazor closed in, nervousness forming a thin fog over her thoughts and her spark pounding in its chamber. He looked up, one optic ridge raised and something in his optics looked like he knew she wasn't comfortable around him. Was she that obvious?

"Rampage, you know how you joined us saying you could help us? Well, we need your help now. We need to get Tarantulas fixed and Inferno…stable. At least. Do you know anything about- "

"I don't know anything about repairs," came the swift reply. The water receded with a quiet 'whoosh' and he buried his hands into the sand, lifting out a double handful and sifting through it hurriedly. A little wiggle later and a tiny blue crab popped out from the sifted pile and leaped out of Rampage's hands, digging deep into the Earth again and disappearing. "Slagger…"

Airazor blinked. Ahh...

"…There's energon inside," Airazor offered, optic ridge raised delicately.

"I prefer the hunt," he grumbled back over his shoulder.

Airazor sighed.

"Do you know anywhere we could go? Suggestions about what to do? Anything? You said you could lead us to other bots. Are any close by who could help?" she asked, some frustration leaking into her voice.

It was Rampage's turn to sigh. He rubbed his chest, something he'd been doing a lot the past solar cycle, and twisted slightly to look at her.

"Rggh, no one I can find out there who's conscious can help with repairs. I don't know where we can go. Suggestions…" He paused, looking past her. "Has Fishface come back yet?"

"No, he hasn't. Tigatron went to try to bring him back. We can't dawdle out here anymore. We have things to do."

Rampage gazed out at the forest a little longer before nodding slowly.

He knew it was unreasonable to not help. He had to in order to get anywhere. But now there was a difficult obstacle to overcome - Depth Charge. Sure, he'd been an obstacle before, but before it was a game he was having fun playing. The blue bot was an amazing being; strong and angry and hard at spark. His power, Rampage had found over the stellar cycles, matched his own over time and Rampage saw him almost as an equal - not in social status, he wasn't entirely sure how social status worked and what it all entailed, but in prowess and even in smarts. The ray was very intelligent but lived by a solid, even predictable, set of rules. Rampage found it fun to manipulate Depth Charge, make him angry and get a reaction out of him. Funny. Entertaining. Gratifying. But now the rules had changed, it wasn't a game where they were on opposing sides anymore. They were on the same side and what more was that they had their sparks mixed together. It opened up a whole other realm of knowledge Rampage had not known to exist to before and had no access to and he wanted to discover what it meant. So his hunter was now part of him? What did it mean? How did it bother Depth Charge? What was it about the arrangement that was so horrible? They were just sparks. Sure, they were a bot's essence, but in the end they were just energy right? Or was there more? How could sparks be used? Other than experimentation, what did bots use them for? Rampage had eaten them before and noticed nothing particularly remarkable except how much pain one could inflict on another using their spark. Of course, on mortals they didn't last long. Some rough handling and they extinguished. But what now? How had this fusion happened anyway? There were so many questions and while he wanted them answered there was a slight fear of the unknown there. His curiosity overrode that for the most part...

But…that didn't matter. He'd resolved now that whether he wanted to know just didn't matter. He wasn't going to just ask, he'd have to find out some other way while just doing what he had to do to get off Earth. That was his plan for now. Play nice, learn along the way about anything he could, and wait for the right moment to reach for his freedom.

"Hmm, yes we do," he replied. His head tilted while his optics studied her. "What about you and the tiger? Do you have suggestions? A plan?"

He pushed himself to his feet and Airazor retreated a step. He held back a smirk as her spark exuded waves of apprehension towards him. But then he paused, considering her reaction,before the smirk turned into a thoughtful frown.

"You…fear me based on what another has told you about me?" he asked, his tone humbler. He'd decided that he didn't like her judging him from his reputation. That wouldn't do if their… 'team' was going to work. Maximals worked differently than Preds. The other Predacons talked about the Maximals and their ways, and while his old teammates weren't known for their intellect, their observations regarding the Maximals were common and consistent. He'd have to adjust his behavior to fit with them. He wondered briefly how Depth Charge would take to that? "Why not try to get to know me for yourself?"

Airazor suppressed a slight cringe and she nodded. He had a point. That was wrong wasn't it? Would Optimus have judged X because of what others said to him about it? ......How had Optimus handle the large bot anyway? It wasn't very Maximal of her to think that way was it? She should give him a chance. This thought seemed a viable option. Sure, he was a threat, but they were workgi ntogether and judging him based on preconceptions was coneited and cruel of her, wasn't it? She didn't relax, but she subconsciously felt a weight lifted form her shoulders. If she didn't have to twist everything he did into killer's intent it made it easier on her psyche, her cubconsious reasoned.

"I'll … do that. Now, I think we should… maybe go back to the cave and check on the other two. Maybe think up a few ideas. Tarantulas looked like he was trying to say something earlier," she said. Feeling determined to show Rampage she was going to try to give him a chance, she turned her back on Rampage and walked calmly back to the entrance.

The crabbot hid a secretive smile and followed, not too close, his optics drifting back to the treeline. He'd managed to block the other mech's anger and hateful…words…overnight, but feeling him constantly _there_ was very odd. He wondered what Depth Charge was doing now?

Entering the cave behind the femme, he froze midway down the tunnel.

He didn't like labs.

And he never liked Tarantulas.

But..... his personal feelings regarding the mad scientist would only hinder their project. So…

His thoughts were interrupted by a gasp.

"Where is he?!" Airazor asked, looking around desperately. Slagging spider and his disappearing acts! How did he do it!?

"He's down there," Rampage rumbled lowly, pointing down the dark hidden hallway as he stood in the main tunnel. It was too small for Rampage to fit through, but he could feel Tarantulas's spark wincing inside its casing from within the walls.

Airazor glanced at the crab before squeezing through the tunnel and disappearing into the dark.

When she emerged into the unrefined work room full of dirt and packed blocks of sod, she found Tarantulas lying on the floor, dragging himself towards a pile of rocks.

"What are you doing? You can't hope to escape, Tarantulas!" Airazor exclaimed incredulously, gun drawn. The purple and magenta mech ignored her and weakly pushed rocks out of the way, clicking spiderishly at her, his optical band flickering. A thought occurred to her and she moved forward, pushing the rocks out of the way to uncover a large metal slab lying on the floor. "Oh m - ! It's one of your escape routes! I should have known! That's what you were trying to tell us since _yesterday_!"

Tarantulas gurgled and slumped in relief. The falcon lifted the slab with difficulty in the confined room, but eventually managed to prop it up against the wall. Down below was a yawning black hole that lead to… where? Knowing Tarantulas, and it was unlikely he'd changed much since she and Tigatron were taken, he hid all kinds of things throughout tunnels he excavated. Rattrap had off handedly suggested once that the spider might have a few labs all linked up somehow through the ground. Maybe… there was another lab, maybe there was a CR chamber down there!

She stepped over Tarantulas and made her way back towards the main cavern.

"Tarantulas has a tunnel back here!" she called ahead. Maybe if she informed the crab while she approached, he wouldn't jump her or something when she came out – No! She couldn't judge what he'd do! She couldn't honestly expect a trap every time she confronted Rampage simply based on a reputation! ... A reputation that was well deserved… She'd have to be cautious, she affirmed. She'd have to be cautious, but just play it cool and remain open. She could find that balance couldn't she?

When she emerged Rampage was still standing there, albeit with an uncomfortable expression. He shifted around more than he had a moment ago. Maybe he was nervous in close spaces? OR perhaps it had something to do with this being a science lab? She couldn't be sure, but her instincts told her it was definitely not the best place to keep the crab for long. She could understand that.

"Tarantulas lead us to a tunnel that might lead to another lab. We'll have to scout ahead, find out where it goes first. I'll comm Tigatron," she informed the crustacean and opened a comlink to her bondmate while Rampage leered around the room, ignoring the squirming Inferno and the medical bleeps and lights from his memories.

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Depth Charge sat on a low stump, his head bowed in thought. He was still angry and disbelieving but he wasn't stupid. Sometime yesterday he had come to the conclusion that staying out here and throwing a fit wasn't going to help anything. He didn't lose control like that often and he didn't intend to let himself do it again. Not for now. He had to keep himself together. He could rant all he wanted at plants but it wouldn't solve anything.

There had to be a way out. There had to be something he could do to reverse the effects, right? He'd heard of bonded individuals separating. It wasn't common but it was possible. How had they done it? He wasn't sure. It might even have had to be consensual or forced somehow. He didn't know how to even start but… it was possible. He just had to find a way.

He sighed loudly.

He was in deep. He'd been in deep before, for a longtime now actually, but this was … this was too much. He'd been ready to die to see X meet justice, but now this? What had he done to deserve this? How could the world possibly work this way?

Anger welled up again, but he forced it down. He had a plan now and he'd been out here too long.

He had to go back and get the group going, if they hadn't moved on without him yet. He barely remembered Airazor coming to talk to him a few times, then Tigatron once, but he couldn't remember what he said or did to them other than that he pushed them away. He didn't want their pity or their sentiment. Or their support - he can handle himself. He always had, he always would. So he'd go back, and get Tarantulas patched up somehow finally. Depth Charge – well, _no one _liked him, but he was easily the most skilled they had in regards to repairs and technology. He'd come in handy trying to piece together something to get back to Cybertron. They'd go out and gather all the rest of the bots, then scan everywhere for missing tech, anything from past battles and slag that was alien to Earth, and gather it all up. They'd build something. And then they'd leave. Somewhere in there, he would find a way to get his spark put back together and get rid of Rampage. Or, if that wasn't possible, he'd end them both. Maybe Tarantulas would know how to fix this problem. Maybe it could even get X to cooperate, but could he influence the red mech at all with his spark now? And without hurting himself?

...Whatever.

What harm came to him didn't matter as long as the bot was controlled and he didn't kill anymore. Depth Charge would have to learn to deal with it for now, and when the opportunity presented itself, he'd take it, whether it killed himself or not. But not before they could get off the planet. He'd be sure they could return to Cybertron before he died. That was it.

A rather _vague_ plan at best but it was the best he could some up with now with his temper on the fritz. In fact, he was so perturbed he didn't really … feel Protoform X at all… Thank _Primus_. He really _really_ didn't want to be reminded about how intimately close they were now. It was a devastating mental track to follow that could only lead to either another angry fit or a spiral of depression he didn't want to face. Depression meant a dawn of understanding. He didn't want that. He couldn't afford to understand, none of them could.

A white form appeared in his peripheral vision and he glanced up to see Tigatron transforming to robot mode.

"Depth Charge," the mech intoned, optics wary, "Are you ready to return?"

He padded closer, giving Depth Charge a wide berth. The ray noticed and indignation made him narrow his optics. The tiger was giving him space because…he was what? Dangerous? He wasn't dangerous! He wasn't X!

He stood up quickly which made Tigatron back up. The other mech wasn't afraid, but determined.

After a few moments where the two stared at each other, one determined to get the answer he came for and the other swallowing his pride, Depth Charge said quietly, "Yeah."

"Pardon?"

"I'm ready. I stayed out here for way too long. We need to get moving. Have you and Airazor come up with a plan yet?"

Tigatron relaxed his position slightly.

"No. We waited for you to return first to make a plan together. We do not have a commanding officer. We need to stick together and form plans as a group."

Depth Charge inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"Got it. Let's head back."

Tigatron regarded him as he brushed past and breezed through the forest back to the lair.

Tigatron shook his head slowly, looking regretfully at the shredded forest around him. The damage wasn't as bad as he thought it might be…

_Tigatron! Tarantulas showed us a tunnel from this cave. It might lead to another lab or something. _Airazor's voice sounded, tinny, through the air.

The transmetal tiger transformed to Beast Mode and tilted his head to listen to the device in his arm.

_Understood!_ Tigatron replied, his interest moving from nature to their objective with reluctance born from his connection to this planet. _We're on our way!_

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As the raybot neared the beach he slowed his stride considerably, optics burning bright.

Standing outside the entrance was X. He looked… slightly sick… Something Depth Charge had never seen before. Why?

No. Questions were unnecessary, he told himself, jerking his head.

He glared heatedly in X's direction but the crab hardly noticed and moved off to let the manta inside. That was odd, but Depth Charge shooed his thoughts towards the matter at hand.

Airazor popped into his visual field then.

"It's this way," she said simply, all business.

Tigatron, Rampage, and a very tense Depth Charge entered the cave and made it to the back wall where the secondary tunnel was dug.

"I can't fit in there…" the ray muttered, stepping forward and feeling the cave's walls. Maybe they could widen it?

"I'll go down and have a look around. There may be a security system or traps to disengage," Tigatron offered, moving forward to enter. The ray nodded and stepped back with his arms crossed and feet planted firmly on the ground.

"Be _careful_. You know Tarantulas and his tricks!" Airazor called after him before settling into her own waiting position. It felt awkward to just stand here without anything to say to the other two, who were pointedly ignoring each other, but she occupied herself by looking around the lair again... Measly distraction but it was something.

Now they just had to wait….

--

Down the hidden tunnel the tiger transformed and passed the spiderbot who was still propped against the wall, moaning softly.

"This had better not be a trap," Tigatron told him lowly, a slight growl in his voice. He held a few arachnoids in his hand and dropped down the hole.

Inside, he found that the tunnel was narrow, long and winding, with rough outcroppings of stone here and there, but big enough to stand in with a slight hunch. His visibility was only as far as the tunnel went before it bended, which was only about 10 to 15 feet at a time. The arachnoid bots didn't offer much light but his optics took the little light and amplified it, making it possible to see well enough. He cautiously made his way down, then up, then around…

The tunnel seemed endless. Soon, his chronometer showed he'd been walking for about 15 cycles and nothing had happ –

Movement.

He whipped out his freeze rifle and fired into the wall. Something sparked and fell to the ground before it could react.

Upon closer inspection, though, he found it to be bait – a small contraption meant ot catch an intruder's attention and set off a ...

"Slag," he breathed.

He leaped backwards just as the walls around him collapsed. The ground shook and loud cracks echoed as the stone crinkled and fell into the small space Tigatron had just been standing in a moment before. As the rocks settled, Tigatron saw something else move to his left, and he leaped again, but nothing happened.

It was only another tunnel.

He hadn't seen it the first time around which meant it had been hidden somehow...

He stepped through and, a few paces later, detected and disabled another trap. From here on, there were several traps he managed to evade and a few arachnoids who decided to follow him, their camera and audio receptors making a very faint high pitched sound as they creeped. Eventually he found a larger tunnel which lead to a very large subterranean chamber. The stones down here were bluish in color, smooth like flint, but more solid. Possibly some kind of volcanic rock? Crystals grew in various hollows and stalagmites rose from the floor in abundance. There was a clear area that had been smoothed over to the far right and it was there that an simple lab set-up stood. He moved closer, still wary, watching as the computer screens read code and machines bleeped and blinked. The computers were powered by a large blue web in the center with lab tables on the left, piled high with technical equipment and a few weapons. To the right, which Tigatron was nearing now, stood more tables next to, at the very end, a large vat carved into the floor with a catwalk-like control system sitting comfortably on top.

Bingo.

A Predacon designed Recovery chamber.

Tigatron raised an arm and activated his com link with a mental switch.

"Tigatron to Airazor."

_Airazor!_

"I've found another lab and it has a working recovery chamber."

_Oh, thank the Matrix. Alright. How are the tunnels?_

"They had some of the usual traps but they've been disabled. Hm, I see some more tunnels down here - I'm going to go see where they lead. See if there's another entrance with a wider tunnel for Depth Charge and Rampage to squeeze through."

_Got it, Tiger. I'll relay the message. Stay safe._

"Of course."

Tigatron cut the transmission and, without bothering with the controls since they could be booby trapped too, crossed the cave to another set of tunnels he could see. There had to be a tunnel large enough, since much of the lab equipment could not have been dragged through the winding, thin tunnel he'd just had to crawl through. But where?

"Ahh…I see it…" he muttered to himself, spotting a yawning doorway behind a pillar. "Now to find the entrance…"

--

"How big are those tunnels? He's been gone for a megacycle now," Depth Charge intoned, a slight growl to his voice.

"I know, I'm getting worried. But he should report soon. He knows we're waiting for him…" Airazor answered, hands folded lightly in front of her, resisting the urge to wring themselves.

While her words were true, she knew that when Tigatron went on the hunt, he usually forgot to report in to his friends until he found something or felt it necessary in some other way. She found it was best to simply wait and not interrupt his…zone. Whenever she did, he got a little snippish so to avoid that she just sat and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

He was a thorough mech, making sure the whole way was scouted and cleared before letting his friends through. He'd been that way since they met. Still, it didn't make the worry go away. In fact, it made her worry more. She could tell she wasn't the only one who was getting uneasy, though. Depth Charge shifted his fins and his legs every once in a while rather than saying stock still like he had been doing at first. He was eager to make things happen already, but patience didn't come easy for him. He had to be forced to wait, it seemed. Rampage on the other hand was standing as still as he could and staring hard at the wall. His attitude slowly vanished over the last couple megacycles and he'd grown increasingly… queasy looking. He seemed to have nearly left a few times already but he managed to stay put. He kept glancing at the corner with the torture devices Airazor had found earlier but he'd glance away grimacing slightly. He tried not to make it obvious but it was hard. Whatever was on his mind, he had practice in ignoring it but it didn't make his nervous behavior go away completely… She couldn't help but feel sorry for Rampage. She couldn't recognize the tools in that corner, but maybe Rampage could? How terrible his life must have been! She couldn't trust him and he was too proud to let her take pity on him, but she couldn't help but feel for him, just a little bit.

Depth Charge shifted again, this time placing his weight on his left leg and lifting his fins in a shrug.

X wasn't his usual self and it was affecting the ray. The crab wasn't exactly one to lose it, hehad his own systemof handling his past, so Rampage was actually okay despite his dis-ease. But Depth Charge wasn't. He was continually trying to distance himself from the memories that seeped through their…_bond_. Ugh. He kept getting flashes of images of the instruments on the table juxtaposed with images of those and similar instruments in _action_…on X…from a first person perspective… Faint sounds came through those memories, along with feelings of fear and phantom pain… Depth Charge shook his head for what felt like the hundredth time, shifting again to his other leg and setting his gaze to stare down the tunnel in front of them. He didn't want to know. X deserved it, all of it. He was a criminal, a monster the scientists created somehow. Everything that happened to him before he escaped was… was…

_Airazor, I've found another way into the cave. As well as a couple weapons caches. _

Tigatron's voice startled him from his thought.

Airazor nodded though her mate couldn't see.

"And where's the entrance. Is it big enough?" she inquired back, appraising the walls around her as Depth Charge had done earlier.

_Yes. It is located South of the lava pits, Sector Ray, Quad 4, 52. The entrance is covered by a boulder or pile of large rocks, hard to tell from inside. They should be able to move them and take this tunnel all the way back to the labs without interruption… the way is clear, I'm making my way back now…_

"Affirmative._" _

Airazor clicked off the link and turned back to the other two, "Ok, he's coming back up. Did you catch the coordinates?"

Depth Charge nodded curtly.

Fifteen cycles later, Tigatron crawled back up through the hole and the group discussed their plan - Depth Charge and Rampage would walk over to the lava pits and enter the lair from there. Airazor and Tigatron would go through the tunnel with Tarantulas and Inferno, move them to the labs, and get Tarantulas patched up first. They'd meet at the lair and discuss further action from there.

X moved swiftly out of the spider's lair and started his way up the beach while Depth Charge oversaw Inferno being carried by Airazor into the hole.

He nodded a crisp 'see you later' and she did likewise and the pairs parted ways.

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_W00t! A little sloppy ending but their parting would have been a little repetitive if I wrote the whole thing out. Believe me, this was an awkward chapter to write. If you can offer suggestions, please say so. :D _

_Thanks for reading! Let me know whatcha think! :D _

_On to the next chapter! :333_

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	6. Ep2 Resolutions, Part Two

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Beast Wars or Transformers unless yall are talking about the DVDs, in which case, I still don't own the material. ;_; _

**A/N:**

_Welcome! Author's notes on the bottom again! :D Open up yer review window and comment as you read along! I love comments! X333 Thanks to my reviewers! Here's another chapter for ya and more on the way! ;D _

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact**

**Resolutions, Part Two**

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Ten cycles he'd been following Rampage and it was hard to stay concentrated on their current goal. The red bot had calmed down a while ago, seemingly back to normal, but the way his crab legs rested high over his shoulders told Depth Charge he was pretty tense. The ray himself was livid and he only grew tenser the more they walked. Some part of his programming was telling him that his anger was likely misplaced.

But he didn't listen to that little voice.

When it came to X, he _never_ listened to that little voice.

He continued walking behind Rampage for about 6 more cycles before Rampage slowed and turned around.

Depth Charge raised his weapons and bowed his head in concentration, but Rampage didn't do anything except regard him with annoyance.

"I'd appreciate it if you weren't glaring at my back the whole way there. I told you I'm cooperating," he informed the ray impatiently. He was tired of having those metaphorical holes drilled into his back. It made him feel on edge and it took all the control he had not to just turn and shoot out of reflex.

"I can't trust that Ra – X," Depth Charge said, stumbling over the name. What the slag?

"I like 'Rampage' thanks," came the cross response. He noted the name switch.

"I don't."

"Whatever. Just stop treating me like I'm out of control about to kill something. There's no one out here but _you_ and _me_ and some _rocks_. I'm not about to attack you and rocks aren't exactly the funnest thing to maim, Fishface," Rampage stated hotly, quickly becoming irritated. The ray was practically beaming bolts of wrath and it was affecting him. He pushed back.

Depth Charge's face twitched.

"It doesn't matter what you attack, it's the possibility you'll lose control _period_ that's the real danger, _X_. You're unpredictable and amoral. You're looking out for yourself and whenever it is we'll need you most is when you'll _turn away or attack_. I can't let that happen," he spat.

"It _won't_ because I'm not interested in your new friends, Gills. I _AM_ looking out for myself and the only way I can do that is to help you. I _already_ _explained_ that part!!" Rampage yelled exasperatedly. He had too much weird aft slag on his mind to deal with this, but he couldn't retreat without very bad repercussions.

"Explanations don't do anything to change the end result! You. Are - "

"Dangerous? I already _know_ I'm dangerous. HA!_ Everyone_ knows I'm dangerous! You, me, that tyrant lizard, the little friends you had back on Omicron, the Maximals! _Everybody_! But right now I need to get off this planet and the only way to do that - "

"Is to slagging _use_ everyone else until you don't need them anymore," Depth Charge interrupted, taking a couple steps forward.

Rampage paused, resetting his optics as a thought occurred to him.

"Old friend - " Rampage started, moving closer as well.

"I'm not your friend."

"We have somewhere to go and something to do right now, and look who it is who's _holding us up_?" Rampage hissed. He added, sing-songing, "It's not me…"

Depth Charge's hands curled tight. He lashed out and struck Rampage across the face, all his current anger channeled into the blow. The crabbot reeled back, startled, but not really surprised. He quickly got his feet under him while Depth Charge tried to reel himself in – seriously, how much good would a fight do given their plight? With X so near, his ire had boiled over and he'd reacted without thinking. That was foolish. X was right – they _might_ need him and, despite how Depth Charge felt towards the mech, it was stupid to attack him when the bot hadn't done anything wrong…yet.

Thinking didn't do much good, however, since Rampage, once he had his bearings, charged him and tackled him to the ground before managing to pull out a missile launcher.

The red mech looked in the direction they were supposed to be headed before Depth Charge retaliated with a swift bash to the neck. There must be a way to get Depth Charge to the cave while they were fighting . . . Maybe he could get Depth Charge to listen to him if he proved he meant business?

A sizzling shot rang out and Rampage was thrown back by the force of a disc-shaped projectile in the chest and the brawl continued, the crab keeping his goal in mind.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Just a little further, Airazor. There's a ledge at the end and it's dark so you might want to slow - "

A yelp echoed down the tunnel.

" – down."

Tigatron dragged the squealing Tarantulas through the last of the tunnel and found Airazor getting up and dusting the metallic coal that was Inferno off with care.

"Dropped 'im when I fell," she explained.

"My apologies," Tigatron said.

"No, it's alright. I'm fine. I just hope – and it's _really _weird to say this – that he's okay."

Tigatron shook his head in assent and kept dragging the quivering spider along the ground to the Recovery chamber. He propped Tarantulas up against a stalagmite and went to look over the controls.

Airazor set Inferno down on a lab table and wandered over.

"Need help?" she asked interestedly.

"Ah…yes, I believe so. I know the basics for the Maximal CR chamber and other technology but - They shouldn't be all that different, but mechanics in general still elude me," Tigatron explained, a little sheepish.

Airazor nodded in understanding and gave him a smile.

"Don't worry. Rhinox showed me a few things. I'm no expert but I'm a fast learner," she winked, tilting her head slightly. Tigatron smiled back.

She approached the controls and looked them over, setting her fingers lightly over the keys and number pads.

"Then again my fast learning is useless if I'm lookin at something totally out of my league!" she muttered.

"Tarantulas changed the controls," Tigatron said. It wasn't a question, he could have guessed the spider would have done something to all and any technology he could get his claws on. It didn't hurt to try, though. Airazor stepped away from the control panel and that's when Tarantulas warbled and started crawling over. The two Maximals exchanged glances.

Both proceeded to lift the spider from under the arms and dragged him to the panel. Tarantulas raised a shaky three fingered hand and pressed two buttons that caused red data to stream on the small computer interface – one string of data Airazor suspected was a diagnostics and rescan code and the other an automatic power command. All that programmed to two buttons? Probably since Tarantulas was alone a lot, he might want his machines to recognize and fix him with as little time consumption as possible on inputting the required data.

They placed the spider down on the surface and the black platform moved downward, submerging the relieved looking scientist into the glowing liquid below.

Something caught Tigatron's optic and he walked over to the main computer console, watching the screens.

"Airazor," he called lightly and the falcon joined him.

The computer screen was scanning Tarantulas and taking the parts the mech had and rearranging them. A black and white grid detailed every part. The computer cut off 8 extra spider legs and reutilized them to fill in and smooth over other damaged parts. One arm would be remolded into his transmetal clawed hand but the right arm would remain his first form's claw. The reason why flashed past – something about incompatible parts. Any extra metal was stored away for use later inside the Recovery Chamber's storage nanites. The resulting image was very_ Tarantulas_ but not quite the same as either of his previous forms that the Maximals knew of.

"The extensive damage he took should take a long while to repair," Tigatron noted. Airazor agreed and looked to where Inferno was once again wiggling.

Tigatron noticed.

"He'll have to hold out a little longer. We need Tarantulas before Megatron's most loyal follower," he growled intensely, but evenly, while glaring at Inferno. Everything the ant ever did or said could be blamed on twisted programming and idiocy, but Tigatron was not going to go soft on an enemy that had harmed his friends and the planet so many times. Besides, logically the mech was dying and Tarantulas was the one with more skills that were needed as soon as he could apply them. Tigatron was not a cruel bot, and he did not want to judge others by their skills' worth and past experience, but with the resources and back up they had in this situation, they had to be careful.

He took Airazor's hand and she looked at him with a grin full of love, admiration, and support.

"I found another tunnel that I was only able to explore to a certain point - the end was covered with rocks like the one I found for Depth Charge and Rampage. I think we can clear the way and discover where it leads. Will you join me or stay here?"

"I'll join you," she replied. "I don't want to hang around down here any longer than necessary," she added, throwing a glance at the lab equipment around her. Together they approached the tunnel her bonded had indicated.

Tigatron had already disabled the two traps set up inside so traveling the 5 cycles to the end of it was easy, a few arachnoid machines in their hands to light the way. Like the tiger had said the end was blocked with rocks, but small points of light peeked through. It was apparently not meant to be too heavily covered, only disguised.

"I'll support the bottom ones while you push the upper half out," Tigatron said, bracing himself against the lower rocks. Without the weight of the upper half of the barricade, the rocks nestled tightly against each other at the bottom might tumble down on top of them. The tunnel here was angled downwards and such an event was a probability.

Airazor stood full height and pressed her hands on the wall in front of her.

"On three," she said. "One…two…_three_!"

She grunted the last number and slammed herself against the rocks which actually fell outward without much resistance. As Tigatron had predicted, some rocks fell forward and rolled down the tunnel, but he too pushed and most of them tumbled out, clearing the way.

"Huh. A forest," Airazor uttered first, her gaze sweeping the landscape.

"Do you hear that?" Tigatron asked, his voice quiet. His mate went silent and they listened.

Far in the distance they could hear… pounding? And maybe some voices…

"Drums," Airazor breathed, briefly remembering the protoform humans from her spark memories. Tigatron remembered as well. He nodded.

"They might be around still. We should stay quiet. I'm not sure…what their 'reputation' was with the Maximals and vice versa."

"Got it," Airazor replied in a hushed tone. It was unlikely humans could hear them from so far away, but their scanners found specific organic creatures difficult to pick up and there might be some of the ancient beings nearby.

They walked out and Tigatron transformed to beast mode, sniffing around.

Airazor headed in the opposite direction, poking around some rock formations that looked like they'd been eroded a little too quickly. The ground was glassy . . .

Was this where the Nemesis fired a second time?

She commed Tigatron who padded over to see.

Observing the scene, he shook his head sadly at the damage.

"Tigatron! I found someone!" Airazor called suddenly, forgetting their noiselessness.

"You did?"

Indeed, she had. The mech was hidden, smashed, between some rocks. His limbs were gone, but his torso was intact. His head hung loosely, connected to the body only by a few cables, and his red optics flickered on and off weakly.

"Is he alive?" Airazor asked.

Tigatron touched the mech's chest, unsure.

"I don't know. I can't feel his spark's beat. We should get him back to …"

He trailed off as trees rustled loudly, the leaves blowing in an unusual gust. He stiffened.

"Tigatron. Maximize. Stealth mode."

Once again, glances were exchanged and the two Maximals picked the mech up and backed towards the tunnel, optics on the sky, expecting the cicada.

"The forest is silent…" Tigatron whispered.

Airazor suddenly noticed the same thing. There was a disturbing lull in the forest's sounds, only the faint drums being heard. It was quiet.

"Too quiet," she mumbled out loud.

The trees around them shuddered again and they turned to get back down the tunnel before anything could surprise them but when they did, they found a tall figure blocking the entrance to the cave and they froze.

It was staring.

With its big, pinkish eyes.

"What is it?" Airazor asked, voice low.

"I believe it is a species of grasshopper, but it's much too large to be a natural form. And it smells … wrong," Tigatron answered, suspicious and his optics narrowing.

He sized it up. It was about as tall as he was while still resting immovably on its legs. Its antennae were still and its eyes never left the pair of Maximals. It was an earthy green, with black patterning and yellow spots on its exoskeleton. For all its extraordinarily realistic disguise, however, it had to be another Cybertronian. No grasshopper was that big and no grasshopper could stare with such an ethereal intensity.

Very slowly, the hind legs rose and the tail lifted a bit.

The Maximals tensed and prepared for an attack.

Abruptly, a sound ripped through the air and the ground trembled. The earth beneath them cracked and their audios were assaulted with a very insectoid noise.

Airazor shouted out, trying to keep herself stabilized while holding on to the KO'd bot's arms.

"Airazor, fly up and shoot it from above! And watch out – it's definitely Vok!" Tigatron yelled back over the din. It was now glowing a pearlescent white, giving away its unnatural origins.

Airazor let go of the new found mech and rose upwards, trying to get a decent angle. She aimed her weapons at the locust's head, but then the noise stopped as suddenly as it started, which disoriented her. Fast enough it might have given Cheetor pause, the thing flew up and tackled her in less than a nano. She went down hard, the bug's feet gripping her tight around the midsection. It opened its wings again to try to take off, the femme still in its claws, but a violent roar from its left interrupted it - as did a forceful blast of ice to the side of the head.

The thing let go and flew back again, landing in front of the tunnel and swiping the ice from its face.

Tigatron helped Airazor up, checking her over for damage.

"We cannot let that thing into the tunnel!" he said determinedly. Airazor approved and,determined not to let it get to Tarantulas – of all the bots they had to protect – both turned to the insec

Their worries were for naught, however. The grasshopper lifted its legs again and once more that terrible sound filled the air. The ground quaked again and the rocks around the tunnel shifted. In a few nanocycles flat the tunnel was collapsed, firmly buried under layers and layers of dirt and stone, and the hill it rested on was split into 7 pieces.

"Slag…" Airazor cursed softly when the grasshopper went quiet again.

"I'll comm Depth Charge…" Tigatron breathed, staring.

The grasshopper eyed them again – a gleam of malevolence in its eyes – and roared.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Deep under the ground, Tarantulas was shaken awake. The control panel was not the only thing customized by the spider – the recovery chamber itself was improved and specialized to heal the occupant faster and more efficiently than the average reconstruction process.

His optic band flickered on and he lifted his head. He could see a cloud of smoke drifting in from somewhere or…was that dirt? It was coming from a tunnel that was making a very loud… rough… noise.

"No! The cave!" he gasped out loud and braced himself for falling rocks, but nothing happened except for the sound receding and the rocks settling. He looked around but saw nothing different inside the cavern. A tunnel to his far right, however, was clearly collapsed and the stone around it was cracked all the way to the ceiling.

"Huggh! They're _much_ too powerful to fight with like this!" he hissed, peering at his claws. He coughed a short laugh.

He stood up and looked himself over. His armor was a mottled magenta and purple and his arms were mismatched, but he certainly felt much _much_ better! Running a quick self diagnostic scan, he found he could transform still, but it would be an odd modge podge of Transmetal and pretransmetal parts. He was missing a wheel, so switching into his sweet motorcycle outfit wasn't happening. Oh well, it would have to do for now and his spider form was the more logical choice of the two for his new mission anyway.

He was as repaired as he could get.

Now to complete his next task. . .

He transformed into beast mode and crawled crookedly up the walls to a hidden tunnel Tigatron couldn't have found on the ground. Lightly chuckling to himself and running simply because he could without agony streaking through his processor, he made his way to his next destination, the fear he hadn't recovered from still very present in his mind.

Back on the lab tables, the completely ignored Inferno must have sensed it was his turn to use the tank because with the great determined drive he was infamous for, he managed to roll off the table to the ground. His waning spark the only thing able to issue any commands to the rest of what was left of his body, he commanded himself to move, move, move, _move_ to where his spark could heal and his body restored!

And he did.

Writhing and wriggling he pulled himself to the recovery chamber and rested on the platform.

There was a harrowing cycle as the computer took automatic scans of him and computed his reconstruction that a small part of his spark thought he was finished for sure, but with a light scraping, the platform descended and the cool restoration liquids enveloped him.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Depth Charge rolled to the left and righted himself into a crouching battle stance, all weapons raised, in one fluid motion. Dirt clung to his fins in clumps since the ground was wet. It smelled sulfuric and the dirt was very dark. The temperature had gotten warmer since entering this area and the brimstone smell was getting stronger.

Guess they _had_ gotten closer to their destination.

Had Rampage been…_herding_ him this way?

He tried to shake that odd thought away but when Rampage peered over the boulder he'd been hiding behind, the smirk on his face was confirmation enough, as if the crab could hear his thoughts…

"You ready to listen to me?" he asked.

Depth Charge growled out a rather lurid insult and fired again, Rampage simply ducking behind his rock.

"So we're at the lava pits. How does that mean I should - " Depth Charge stopped himself. This break in the fight had him thinking before acting again – but could he or anyone afford to let -

_This is Tigatron to Depth Charge! Come in Depth Charge!!!_

Depth Charge jerked backwards. The urgency in the tiger's voice was enough to jolt the ray from his current affairs and focus clearly on the sound of his voice.

_Depth Charge here. What's up?_

_Depth charge! Airazor and I have encountered another Vok-turned Cybertronian! An insect! And it has powerful sonic attacks! We found another bot here –_

The radio crackled a bit.

_-human protoforms nearby! It's two against one – no retreat - but with a new party to protect and an enemy this – _

The radio crackled as a haunting screeching sound resounded out of the speaker.

_This powerful, we can't take him out on our own! We need back up! Repeat! We need back up! _

An explosion was now heard over the comm link and Depth Charge knew he couldn't keep fighting here. He and Rampage glared at each other for a moment.

"You finally willing to take my word seriously, Fins?" the crab asked, optic ridges furrowed.

"No. But we've got bigger problems."

"I still stick to what I said. I'll help you, you help me. Simple."

The ray gave the crab a new look now. It was a look he was known for back on Omicron, his face rigid and his optics piercing into the spark of whoever it was he was thinking about. Most often he was thinking a criminal's options over while the criminal shifted nervously under his gaze. Other times it was a subordinate who had disappointed him. And other times still, and still used to this day, it was a look reserved for those who got in his way. In sum, it was intimidating and uncomfortable, but it also functioned as his serious pondering look. And that part was the part Rampage hardly ever saw. Depth Charge was all action when it came to him, so seeing him really think was different and interesting. Would the teal ray really take his word for it when those he hardly knew were in danger?

"Fine. But you listen to me and you follow my orders and their implications to the letter," Depth Charge reiterated. They were similar to the words he'd spoken before, but now they carried far more weight, something evident in his heavy tone. This was the true pact, however delicate and tenuous it was.

Rampage didn't like the implication that he didn't have a say at all but there wasn't much he could say or do about it right now.

So, they both stood, wary of each other, before transforming into their third alt modes. With Depth Charge out ahead now, they passed the large the mound of volcanic rock covering the maw of the entrance they'd been 'looking' for and headed straight for Tigatron's reported location.

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**A/N:**

_Hi everybody! WOOT! I finally updated. Sorry for the wait. It gets SO DISTRACTING around here. Back in my apartment I'm in my own room with quiet all the time, but now that I'm in my family's apartment for the summer my writing is interrupted. I write best in the evening, but evening is when my stepdad likes to hog the living room and watch TV, ANY TV, for a few hours… or more…-_-' This apartment only has two rooms, one is my parent's room where my mom likes to hang out in the evening, and the other is my sister's room where she hangs out in the evening. Left with nowhere to go but the bathroom, I sit myself down in the living room and subject myself to Deadliest Catch every night. T_T (I like that show, but that's the problem. XD On top of that, even if it's not something I'm interested in, I still get hypnotized away from my story or the noise level just ruins my focus!!!! DX Ugh! But I love my family and my parents work hard and my sister's difficult so I'm okay over here on the couch. :D THANK THE MATRIX I don't have to sleep on the couch too because that feels too sad. ;_; _

_Anyways, a couple notes here on the fic:_

_First of all, once again, I had to rewrite a couple parts over and over again. -_- I had a point I was trying to make, but didn't know how to approach it. ;_; So, instead, I shortened the whole thing, and since the point I was trying to make was too soon anyways I chopped that out. 8D Specifically, it was the beginning and end with DC and Rampage that gave me trouble. T_T_

_Secondly, the grasshopper started out as a locust, but after doing some research I decided I was definitely confused on whether or not a locust was a grasshopper or not anyways XD , so I went with grasshopper to make it vague. LoL. The grasshopper and cicada have names now, too, but they might not be named until next chapter or afterwards, haven't decided. Thank you to those who helped out. :D They are likely going to be like Tigerhawk in personality, pretty straightforward and no nonsense and straight-faced, with names and individual robot modes and stuff – these aren't their bodies after all. _

_Thirdly, said grasshopper is not a Mary Sue. I don't plan on bringing OCs in and if I do, they'll either be –insertplanshere- and/or properly developed or bad guys. 8D Here we have another Vok controlled bot who apparently uses sound as its main weapon. While the Beast Warriors don't seem to have special abilities like G1 characters – These. Are. The. Vok. 8D I'm reasoning that if Tigerhawk had built-in abilities in his/its body that manipulates the weather, even after Tigatwo and Razor take over, the Vok will have to manipulate their new bodies in a similar manner in order to control the elements like Tigerhawk's body. Thus, they have powerful 'elemental' attacks … and their animal disguises are extremely realistic. An upgrade, really. :3 We'll learn more about that soon, as well as their limitations – don't worry, they're not all powerful, or else there won't be a story. :D :D _

_Fourthly, the Rampage and DC dialogue, I hope I made it apparent that while Depth Charge is willing to continue and keep rampage under his watch and all that, Rampage is still taking it hard and just wants to get/go along with their current mission. He's tired and confused and he really just wants to forget about it, so if it seems odd he's a little too willing to get going or odd that he wants DC to trust him as far as his not killing anyone goes or odd that he's not really willing to fight much or play a game of wits or whatever, that's why. I hope that's apparent in there. -_-' And if it is, then everything I wrote just now was redundant and a a writer who is supposed to be confident in her abilities I shouldn't have mentioned it at all and seen what yall would say, but I felt it necessary to explain because I REALLY don't want to lose readers who think I'm going into some weird direction or I'm going too fast. x_x Just to keep myself sane. :D  
_

_Hmm, so yeah. I feel this is a much less awkward chapter than the last one. That was trickyyyy. I tried keeping everyone's dialogue and diction as IC as I could but I admit I had some trouble hearing Tigatron and Tarantulas a few times before I got something that sounded like them. :D The others were less tricky, but I'm still unsure Gotta whip out the DVDs and watch again. X3 Furthermore, I keep having to remind myself, not to move the story along too fast. This is only very early, second 'episode' stuff, and a lot of the character development I want to do has to waaaiiiittt. T_T I hope yall stick around, cuz it'll be fun. :3 I'm still dying to the parts I already have skits for in my brain, but, again, first come the intro episodes that are slow and present the current party with the dangers they'll have to face for the rest of the series and THEN come the other stuff, like filler/character development episodes, action scenes, disappointments, celebrations, a freakin' ship/probe/whateveritistheregoingtobuild… etc. :3 _

_Ok, so that's it for now! Got hurricane season pounding at my door, a strange tropical depression or something forming overhead (look Florida up in the weather channel. -_-' Heeeere we go again. T_T ), thunder on the horizon that_

_is getting closer as I type this, and a hopeful heart looking out for REVIEWS!!! X333 _

_See ya next chapter! ;D _

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	7. Ep2 Resolutions, Part Three

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Beast Wars Transformers. We know that by now. _

**A/N:**

_Notes at the end of the chapter. XD Tryin' to keep 'em short this time. __**Trying**__._

_Once again, thank you to my reviewers. Hope you like this chapter too! ;D _

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact**

**Resolutions, Part Three**

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Another blast and Airazor was thrown into a tree, the wood splintering under her back and around her wings. She didn't take much surface damage, dinged here and there with leaves crammed into her joints, but it still hurt and hitting her head didn't help her aim.

The grasshopper was a vicious fighter. It would rub its legs together to make a ripping sound that made the ground, and even the air, gyrate around them. It continually opened the ground under them if they ever tried to stop for moment of rest and a storm was brewing overhead. Tigatron and Airazor were constantly moving, evading the onslaught of attacks – the only reason they hadn't been damaged too much yet. And constantly maneuvering was preventing them from properly fighting it off! The mech they found was in great danger out here, and even though they were unsure as to his status and functionality, soon after the battle started, the bot's protection became their only concern besides staying alive.

As soon as Airazor fired another shot at the locust, she leaped behind a stray boulder and rolled to her feet before sprinting behind a tree. The boulder exploded in a cacophony of sound and she risked a small breather. She tried to find Tigatron and saw him through a bush, hiding behind some ferns, the yellow mech still out cold and clutched in his hand. The catbot motioned to her after looking through the leaves and she nodded. Another bird's eye view, coming up…

She waited a beat and dashed through the woods, gaining distance between her and the grasshopper who was firing some kind of laser in her direction now. Once she found a gap in the canopy, she leaped again and took to the sky. Staying in robot mode, she swung back around the battlefield and tried to get a shot in from behind the bug.

The grasshopper didn't seem to notice her until the last nano.

Just before she was able to fire a small missile, the locust flipped around and fired spines in her direction. They were small and dartlike and ripped through the thinner parts of Airazor's exostructure. She yelled and spiraled down into the dirt, near where she had started. Tigatron looked horrified.

"Are you alright?" he asked as she sat up.

"We're outnumbered, and there's only _one_ bot _out_ there!" Airazor yelled helplessly as an answer. She was getting frustrated - how long did it take to get here from the lava pits!?

Tigatron helped as much as he could, but his job was to guard the hapless bot from the present danger. Airazor was the one who was agile enough to try to take the thing down, but so far, everything she'd thought of since Tigatron had called for reinforcements had failed. If only they could stage a distraction! Then she might have a chance of destroying that insect's legs which would cripple its main attack.

Then again…it could have something nastier in store for them in its robot mode…

Another quake and the ground not five feet from her exploded. She covered her face as splinters and pebbles and leaves of various types flew in every direction,the dirt sinking as the ground fissured.

Once the debris settled a moment later she saw Tigatron motioning another plan. She nodded, even though she was unsure. Tigatron chancing his position and the bot's safety to play bait? Tigatron sent reassurance, however – he seemed determined.

Okay, now for plan…what letter by now? Like, M?

She side rolled right through the damaged underbrush while Tigatron ran left, covering his charge and firing ice through the trees as he attempted to circle the Vok. Airazor used a branch to swing over a short barricade of fallen trees and dove behind a large stump. Peeking out, she finally found the back end of the bug exposed and unguarded - the thing was blasting trees where Tigatron might be…

"Early bird gets the worm, but the bird holding the gun gets the giant nymph," she commented to herself, jumping out from her hiding spot and getting close enough she couldn't miss. She fired a missile right into the locust's long, bent leg and the thing howled, whipping around and butting her into the trees again with its ugly head. This time she hit the less cushioning surface of a boulder and slammed her cranium against its face.

She groaned and slid slowly to sit on the leafy floor.

The grasshopper clicked and zipped over. She faintly heard a "No! Airazor!" but she couldn't do much but stare at the three locusts dizzyingly raising its claws to finish her.

Unexpectedly and with a resounding, metallic roar, the earth exploded right where the tunnel had been and the locust paused.

A massive red ant pulled itself from the collapsed tunnel and scanned the scene. He spotted the grasshopper and clacked his mandibles threateningly to which the locust clacked back, sensing a new opponent. It turned to face him.

"Inferno – Terrorize!!"

Inferno was the last mech Airazor had ever thought she'd be thankful to see, especially in battle mode, but right now, the way Inferno was flipping his flamethrowers around and roasting the slag out of that insect, she was certainly grateful, if only until the red ant blasted _her_ with those guns. She gave her head a firm shake and stood again.

Inferno glared at the bug, his optics ablaze, firing repeatedly into the grasshopper's exposed chest and yelling incoherently as he did so.

Tigatron made his way to Airazor and tried to look her over but she raised her weapons too and shot the locust in the legs again. He followed suit with his ice rifle and soon the thing was whimpering in defeat under the volley of bullets, ice, fire, and missiles. It was now 3 to one, and the damage it had already taken from Airazor and Tigatron, along with its fresh burns and new injuries, were weakening it greatly. It couldn't stick around and think it could win – these bodies were stronger than these Cybertronians', but it could still take damage. Its vocalizer crackled a raspy voice, but they couldn't make out the words before it lifted its yellow-tinted wings and beat them hard against the air, rising heavily and zipping off, its flight path off kilter.

"Take that beating and RUN, insect!!!" Inferno shouted after it, his optics slowly fading to a dull crimson. He didn't pursue it – strange - and, instead, turned to peer coolly at the two bots who immediately stiffened, ready to defend themselves and their ward.

He stared for a long moment before speaking a single word.

"Maximals."

Airazor, a little confused, affirmed the word, wondering what was wrong while keeping her arm guns ready. Tigatron's optics were zipping over the mech's frame, looking for any signs he would attack. He found tension, but no will for an assault…yet.

A slight rumbling sound reached them then, and Inferno angled his weapons at the direction it came from as Rampage lumbered out from over the small rocky hill the ant was standing on. The tank stopped and leered at Inferno but didn't say anything. The steady sound of jets whistled from above and Depth Charge landed lightly on the ground between the Maximals and the lone Predacon who was aiming from one bot to the next, as if unsure where to shoot. He transformed.

"You are confused," Rampage said softly from where he was, his spark drinking in the bot's mental state. He still hadn't transformed yet. He seemed to understand that if _he_ stood or made sudden motions, the ant would fire.

Inferno faltered.

"I…admit I am not entirely…" he paused, thinking over his words. This was odd. He normally didn't seem to think at all. "The Queen betrayed the colony. _Megatron_ betrayed the colony, and his most _loyal_ servant," the ant finished. He said it with a sense of pride, but also with great remorse and bewilderment.

"The Queen _never_ betrays the colony!" he added desperately, his weapons lowering slightly.

No one said anything for a moment, all looking at each other and back at Inferno. The ant studied Rampage, as if asking himself if Rampage should be considered a traitor or not, and then analyzing the unknown bot's remains.

"Right…well…" Depth Charge began, not sure what to think about the pyromaniac. He wasn't expecting this Inferno. He'd expected him to jump up and run around screaming about the Royalty… He'd just bring this around to their current objective and see what the ant said to that. "We're teaming up to get off this planet. I doubt we can build a ship without a crew of at least 8, or at least a probe to get Cybertron lookin' for us again. We could use your help," he continued cautiously, but straightforward as usual.

Inferno looked flabbergasted.

"A new colony? And a new Queen? Negative!!" he intoned loudly. "If … the Queen wished for my death, then I should…"

Inferno paused again, Every moment that passed it became more apparent from his face how fast his world was crumbling around him.

"I… No. He betrayed us! He betrayed me – But I am but a soldier and a servant in the – No, I am – I am…"

-going through a rather severe identity crisis. The damage to his circuits plus his Royalty's betrayal was causing a major conflict in his programming. On the one hand, he was but an ant at the service of his Queen's desires, and if the Royalty wished him dead, he should die in a blaze of flames and glory defending his Queen or in battle in the name of his colony. On the other hand, however, Megatron had destroyed his most loyal soldier and Quickstrike without apparent cause or reason, and his robot self was repulsed at the idea of such an unforgivable and cold act. He'd been nothing but loyal in his service, doesn't he deserve recognition? But no, of course not. He should save himself and drop that tyrant!

His self preservation instincts were activated at the same time his ant logic was preparing him for a mental and physical breakdown, perhaps even death in order to set this wrongdoing right. But how! And why? He hadn't done anything wrong! Should he join this group? Or should he fight them all in one great last stand before offlining forever?

"Inferno," Airazor called, moving slowly forward, stepping just past the Guardian with her arms high so it was clear she had no intention of harming him. Tigatron was still watching with a stiff back, ready to spring forward should anything happen. "Megatron was not a good leader. He betrayed you and your colony. He was no Queen, he was an imposter! And Blackarachnia was wrong – she was no friend of the Royalty. She tricked you into joining her side so she wouldn't get her no good hide kicked. She continually betrayed or bad mouthed the Royalty, didn't she? That's not what friends do!"

Airazor looked up at Depth Charge before looking back at Inferno to continue.

Had she just checked with him before continuing? The ray thought. Was she asking _permission_? From _him_?

Inferno seemed to notice this, his scrutinizing optics glancing at Depth Charge. What was _he_ lookin' at? And what was he thinking?

"You pledged your loyalty to a _monster_, not a _Queen_. Besides: Don't red ants have several queens? We're _all_ Cybertronians here. What you _think_ is your 'new' Queen is simply another Queen of the same … _big colony!_" She finished with an uncertain smile and noticed the amused look Rampage was giving her.

Inferno regarded her for a moment.

"And the Predacon-Maximal conflict?" he asked neutrally, as if reminding her that it wasn't the simple answer she was trying to get across.

"Like I said, we're all Cybertronians. We all will be stuck here to deteriorate and offline unless we … put aside our differences and help each other out. We'll decide where we go and what happens when we got off the planet later. For now, there's great danger out there and survival is one of our only…goals right now. And we could really use your help just as much as you … need…a new colony…?" She answered. Once again she was unsure, taking shots in the dark of what it was Inferno wanted exactly and simplifying their situation in a way that could be understood by the ant.

Inferno was still skeptical but looked less confused. Was he thinking his options over? It was hard to tell. Never having seen the ant think before, she didn't really know how to read his face plates.

Depth Charge, on the other hand, was adept at reading faces in general and decided Inferno was taking too long to decide. He'd have to get this group moving again, they were taking forever.

"Tigatron, Airazor, collect any shrapnel or pieces of that thing's armor or something. If you can find pieces of it, pocket it – we can have Tarantulas look at it. I'm sure he'll want a look. "

The two nodded and started picking the area up of anything Cybertronian so the future didn't find it.

"Ra- X, get Quickstrike and carry him. Make sure he's alive. Once they're done we'll head back to the lava field and reenter the tunnel that way."

Rampage hesitated but ultimately walked over and set Quickstrike's nearly decapitated but, yes, still living, torso, on his carapace. He'd sensed Quickstrike's damaged spark before, but ignored it in favor of finding Depth Charge. The blast must have thrown him somewhere while Inferno was baked, though, because Rampage hadn't noticed the small bot's physical presence in the clearing at all. Then again, he hadn't really been looking, had he?

"Finished," Tigatron called. "Not much left of it, but we found a bit of its leg and recovered any stray bullets in the area."

"We might have missed some, but it shouldn't be much. The grasshopper really only stayed in one place throughout the battle," Airazor added. "And it didn't take long to sweep the area for the same reason."

Depth Charge nodded.

"Got it. Now, if Inferno's out here, Tarantulas is healing right?"

"Actually…" Tigatron trailed off and glanced at Airazor who dawned on the same idea too.

"We put Tarantulas in first!" she continued for her mate, "He must have healed and put Inferno in next!"

"Slag. We should head back now and make sure he's still around," the ray's optics looked back to Inferno, who was completely attentive to Depth Charge's every word, all of a sudden. "You coming?"

Inferno waited, still examining Depth Charge and, once again, taking too long to answer. That was getting annoying.

But as Depth Charge went to say something about it, Inferno saluted sharply.

"I have decided to join your colony, Maximal! What the bird says makes sense! I do not regret following Megatron – he was a grand and glorious leader who surely would have led us to victory had I been there to protect him! But, I was not – I died by his hand! He now faces justice on the distant planet I hardly remember! With him gone I now serve my race over my faction - I pledge my allegiance to you, Depth Charge, the new Royalty and my new Queen."

The ant bowed decorously and there was a moment of silence before Rampage let out a guffaw. He rumbled away in his tank mode, continuing to chortle at his disbelief at and the irony of the arrangement. This was going to be fun.

Depth Charge was shocked. First of all, Inferno had changed his mind fast. True, he didn't know the bots around here THAT well, but he'd figured the ant would put up more of a fight than this. He'd be suspicious, but the ant was…dull in the head. He wasn't sure if mistrusting the ant was really a valid thing to do, considering his doubtful intelligence. His words were eloquent, but he only thought of his colony. With a few words, the hawk had had him switch sides? That couldn't be right. However, the mech had been blasted, then swung around, trampled, shot at, dropped, left to die, and his spark had actually started deteriorating. It made him wonder if there'd been damage to the Predacon-programming in him, maybe. Or maybe the trauma finally kicked some of his gears into proper alignment or something. Or perhaps now he was so freakin' twisted he wasn't thinking right? He'd have to get Tarantulas to look at him.

Second of all – him? Leader? The titles of "Royalty" and "Queen hardly registered. Before they were humorous, but now they beat at his mind. Those titles meant leadership. He recalled Airazor's look and how the Maximals seemed to listen to him despite his… rough attitude. Add to that that Rampage was already in agreement to follow his orders, doubtful as that arrangement was, and he already had a follower. Here was another, also a Predacon, most loyal of the Predacons of all bots, calling him a title he'd reserved only for Megatron? This was too surreal. No way. No way could he be leader. He'd been leader before and looked what happened to that – his _own_ colony had been destroyed because its Security Chief didn't…hadn't…done something. He was no better a Queen than Megatron was, was he?

Airazor and Tigatron were staying put and looking to Depth Charge for confirmation. Inferno had taken one look around the group and decided the ex-Head of Security of Omicron was fit for leadership. Would he accept? Airazor and Tigatron thought he might have it in him, but would they be willing to accept that leadership? Depth Charge would need a lot of…help…

Depth Charge's left optic twitched something vicious, but the ant didn't notice. Determination written all over him, Inferno about-faced and marched in place until Depth Charge told him where to go.

The ray shook his head violently. He'd ignore it. This group wouldn't follow his leadership. In total, he had 3 Maximals, himself included, and 4 Predacons. Two of those Predacons were supposed to be Maximals but were seriously twisted, another was a Predacon due to slavery, and the last was just creepy and might not be a Predacon in essence at all. The group was too mixed… He couldn't lead them, and he wouldn't. He worked by himself, for himself, for justice. He nodded with difficulty and started stalking to the volcanic area again too, without saying anything. Inferno followed, high stepping the whole way.

The last two Maximals shared a look and Airazor smiled wanly – she'd help, would Tigatron?

Tigatron nodded. Depth Charge was the best choice, in his opinion.

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A little under 30 cycles later they were inside the cave and scanning every crevice for Tarantulas.

"…fraggin' spider, where the Pit is he?!" Depth Charge growled, frustration boiling. He checked and rechecked the walls with his scanners, audios straining to hear that raspy voice.

Rampage was calmly looking under a tiny pebble near a stalagmite. Depth Charge paused mid-rant and stared at the crab.

"What?" Rampage asked dully defensive of his actions. "He could be anywhere."

Indeed, Tarantulas was one for odd and sudden appearances…

Truth be told, he knew the spider wasn't in the cave but he was somewhere nearby – not that he'd say anything, watching Depth Charge get mad was fun. So he just wandered around, looking under and behind anything and everything out of boredom.

Tigatron appeared again – he'd gone back to the previous cave they'd occupied to see if Tarantulas was there.

"Nothing," he said the waiting faces.

"Rrrgh, where is he?" Depth Charge asked again as Tigatron went to look around for a tunnel he might have missed. Rampage resisted the urge to answer with something smarmy, but he could sense the spider coming closer. The raybot was slowly relaxing into a readier stance as if he knew the one they were looking for would appear soon and Rampage wondered if he could sense the oddball spark too. He had the other half of the crustacean's spark right?

Meh, in a way, it didn't matter – Depth Charge was too stubborn and too focused on his immediate surroundings with his normal senses to try to pay attention to something like _feelings_. Heh. Little did the ray know that 'listening to one's spark" was no longer a weakness...

Soon, an uneven scurrying caught their attention – that was Tarantulas announcing his presence. He wanted them to know he was coming…

Or not.

As the spider appeared, it was obvious the scurrying was most likely caused by the fact that four of his legs were shorter than his Transmetal ones and his features were lopsided.

"Primus, as if he wasn't ugly enough already," Depth Charge said rudely. Rampage smirked to himself. Despite this being Tarantulas the comment was thrown at, Airazor looked at the ray in shock. He just shrugged dismissively. He was _not_ going to be corrected by some small femme who was too nice for her own good.

A shout and Tigatron was aiming his weapons at the spider as he approached from the same tunnel the tiger had checked moments before. What the slag?

"What are you carrying, Predacon?" he asked with a snarl. Inferno leered from near Depth Charge. Always having distrusted the spider, he too drew his weapons.

Tarantulas waved the small legs near his mandibles from his first form impatiently.

"Put those away! I'm not going to attack. I just went to collect some supplies for our mission. We have some major work to do but the sooner I get the upgrade ready, the sooner we'll be able to fight the Vok on … _almost_ equal footing," he snapped, fear in his optics as he thought of the Vok with a tremor and a suspicious look around the cave.

"A joke at your _own_ expense, Tarantulas? That's unusual," Airazor noted in a tone to rival Depth Charge's suddenly. The ray now gave her a shocked look and she shrugged.

The spider blinked, pulled from his thoughts.

"Nice_, Airazor," _Tarantulas spat sarcastically. "I thought picking at other bots' _physical disabilities_ wasn't _in_ your programming?"

"You'd be surprised," Airazor said sweetly.

"Excellent. Another _witch_ to watch o – "

A low, violent grumbling came from Tigatron and the scientist dropped it grudgingly.

"What upgrades are you talkin' about, Spider?" Depth Charge cut in.

"_Now_ you're interested? My words finally making it through that thick helm to your dense processing unit?" Tarantulas sniped still miffed but pulling his cache to the lab tables as he spoke. He transformed and started unloading the equipment.

"You shall not speak to the Royalty in that manner! Answer the question!!!" Inferno shouted, brandishing his flamethrower.

Tarantulas stared in disbelief before sneaking a look at Rampage who was apparently amused. The crab shrugged back, almost conversationally.

This was weirder than he'd thought…

Ah well. He could live with it if it meant protection or at least some chance of being rescued again if those things got to him … again. He shuddered. At least under Rampage's blasé façade, he could see extreme discomfort at his location. Gods, how that crab _hated_ his labs. Hahahaha! That was a small comfort, having even just a little shred of control once more! Heeheehee! Felt good to be back!

"G_AHHHH_!" the spider suddenly screeched. Inferno had flown over and taken him by the neck, lifting him off the cavern floor.

"Answer the _question_, arachnid!" he restated, but Depth Charge called him off, looking a little uncomfortable. The ant dropped him and Tarantulas dusted himself of insect cooties.

"I've seen what the Vok plan to do and our present forms are not powerful enough to fight them. If I can get a sample of Tigerhawk's armor, maybe, or a sample from the Vok's forms directly – is the Transmetal driver still around? Probably not. Anything alien and Cybertronian at once I can use to recreate the frequency and energy signature at which our forms warp and are enhanced by the Vok's technology."

The looks he got were various in expression. Rampage was glaring, Inferno was blank, Airazor was neutral, Tigatron looked suspicious, Depth Charge looked interested - that was new - if cautious, and Quickstrike looked…dead.

"What's wrong with him?" Tarantulas asked, trying to see more clearly.

"Oh! He was injured!" Airazor reported, shocked she forgot their charge. She lifted Quickstrike, still not knowing his identity or status really, and handed him to Tarantulas with care. The spider lifted the bot, looked him over, and then flung him at the Recovery chamber where the torso clanged onto the platform before it descended.

"Was _throwing_ him _necessary_?!" Airazor asked, indignant and disgusted at such careless handling.

"Keheheee…. Yes. Now where was I?"

"The upgrades," Depth Charge offered, ignoring the exchange. Airazor huffed but stayed silent.

" Yes, the upgrades will then give us the edge we need to defeat them!"

"And what are they planning to do?" Depth Charge inquired, all business.

"The details are fuzzy, but I do know that a few more are coming, they plan to destroy us, possibly the Earth, your future, Cybertron's history, and then the Universe, yaddayaddayadda in order to start their experiment all over again. Our presence here on ancient Earth, they feel, has contaminated the experiment which is why they tried to destroy us the first time with the Planet Buster. Then they got picky about the time stream while they thought the experiment might still be salvageable. But _now_ they think it's completely ruined and wish to destroy it all and start over. And in order to destroy it all, they need to kill off resistance and then methodically destroy the universe as we know it."

"Methodically?"

"They are, in essence, scientists…highly _evolved_…scientists…" Tarantulas trailed off as Rampage's glare intensified.

"And why can't they just send another planet buster thing over and blow us up that way?" Depth Charge asked, arms crossed and skeptical.

"Because they have things here they don't want to destroy and have to try to get them back to the Nexus before they do decide to make a Planet Buster again. But after that, they will likely make something far more powerful and precise than that thing. However, I now know of their limitations. Despite their abilities to manipulate the energy around them, they have limitations. By exploiting those, we can stop them."

"Which are?" Tigatron now piped, still as suspicious as he was when Tarantulas had walked in.

The scientist sighed.

"They are ethereal creatures who live in an ethereal world and are able to manipulate energies in that world to almost any extent, including matter. Matter is basically condensed energy, so in the Nexus they live in, they can manipulate almost anything. This is our world, a physical world where the ethereal cannot manifest for any real length of time and certainly cannot manipulate anything at all, given some exceptions. If you noticed, they have to make physical objects in the Nexus and send it back. The standing stones, the floating mountain - those artifacts and weapons they created were made in the Nexus and sent to Earth for some purpose. Not only that, but they have to have a vessel to survive the physical world – they really aren't much different from sparks, except they are aware and able to interact with their environment on a conscious level. That is why they had to arrive inside Tigerhawk … or the pods or whatever. Are you understanding?"

Inferno was the only one who bothered to nod his head, once, shortly.

"Without compatible physical vessels, they are harmless. They cannot affect any energy whatsoever. Give them a body to possess, say a blank protoform or a spark to occupy, and they are almost unstoppable – with these forms anyway. Thus, we need an upgrade. After I make the upgrade, we can properly investigate and fight them."

Airazor tilted her head, her optics narrowed.

"And you're sure you can replicate the transwarp wave and the, uh, transmetal driver? With a few scraps of slag?"

"I am certain. If Megatron could do it, I can do it better, ehhehehehe. These creatures manipulate energy. They seem to work with light and sound in their world. I may even find a way to make us immune to their more…invasive maneuvers." He shuddered again, visibly this time, flashing back to the Vok who got closer and closer to him, bullets passing right through them. The same two Vok who invaded and occupied his spark for what seemed like months before they were finally driven off!!

"How do we kill them?" Rampage asked quietly. He still looked odd, but his glare was as intense as ever. Depth Charge shifted.

"They cannot be killed with physical objects. I already tried. And if you attack with a ray or something, they can leave the body and possess another or find a different vessel to occupy. So that is what I am trying to figure out. It won't be easy destroying something you cannot destroy by conventional means."

"Why are you handing out this information so willingly, spider? You are secretive and deadly in your mysterious operations. Sharing doesn't suit you…" Tigatron opined lowly, his weapons still drawn.

Tarantulas contemplated his answer.

"Simple," he replied. "If the Vok were to destroy the Ark, I wouldn't be affected. I already told you that, kitty. But if they destroy the planet and the rest of reality as we know it, we'll _all_ be obliterated."

So he's looking out for himself? That was more believable. Tigatron relaxed before thinking how odd it was to feel comforted by the selfish confession of another. Even more reason to stay alert.

"So," Depth Charge spoke up, "You're willing to help us if we help you?"

"Yes," Tarantulas said. "I, uh, pledge my loyalty to you and all that."

Inferno's optics narrowed. Suuure…

Depth Charge was back to twitching.

"You swear loyalty to Depth Charge?" Airazor clarified, walking over and handing the piece of leg she'd found up top to the scientist. She knew from the ray's face he didn't want to be leader but if even the Predacons deemed him suitable…"Got that fighting the Vok a little bit ago."

Tarantulas took it interestedly with an "Oooh!"as she went to check up on Quickstrike, trying to ignore the spider's creepy aura at her back.

"Mm hm," Tarantulas answered distractedly, arranging his equipment. "He is the leader, correct? He _is_ the most _qualified_."

"Affirmative," Inferno reported, matter-of-factly.

"_Slag_ no," Depth Charge stated decisively, shaking his head. He would _not_ command another team. "Get someone else to be leader. We were doing just fine without one and I work alone."

Before he, or anyone else, could voice his opinion further, however, a new voice – or, rather, an old one – grated its way into his audios.

"Well,_ howdy_, there, Sugarbot! I never thought I'd meet me an angel while I was alive, but here I am! …Wait, yer a Maximal?"

Ugghhh…

Depth Charge stomped away unnoticed as Quickstrike hopped out the tank and was immediately debriefed before he caused any damage.

Green optics followed him out.

"Hmm..."

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**Author's Discussion:**

_Greetings. ;D _

_Forget Author's NOTES, I can't ever seem to keep it short. So I labeled it Discussion instead, since I tend to have lots of somethings to say. XD_

_That chapter pretty much just rolled out of my finger tips in one day. XDD I hope that doesn't show. ;) I had to go back and edit another day._

_Anyways, do I have anything to say about this chapter? Just a couple things. XD Riggghhht._

_This chapter obviously concludes the second episode of BW: Deep Impact. This means it's the conclusion of the official beginning of the series! WOOOHOOO! :D Now I can start the plot building. However, don't think that's the whole group. There are more to come and more enemies to watch out for. My imagination is going wild over here. XD But I will keep them as IC as I can get. Next episode is going to be fun for me to write. *_* _

_I figure the end of this chapter might be a little rushed, but after everything that happened, I felt I shouldn't drag it out any more. I tried adding a longer ending, but it felt like too much. So I cut it off where it sounded good enough to do so. Quickstrike was thrown in at the end since I wasn't sure how to bring him back in a way that would really rock. However, I hope his immediate hitting on Airazor was comeback-y enough for him. XD_

_The fight with the Vok in the beginning – I tried to make it lengthy but not too much. It's not supposed to be this huge AHHHHHHHHHHHHH battle, just a First Episode Battle. 8D No one's hurt there, really, just roughed up as both sides test each others' limits. However, I tried to convey the Vok's merciless and relentless intention in their pursuit of the completion of whatever their thing is. :3 I enjoyed that battle. _

_I used 'locust' interchangeably with 'grasshopper' since…they look a lot alike and I dunno the exact taxonomic distinction between them SO, yeah. :3 And the Vok? What Tarantulas said is the basic summary of what the Vok plan to do, but it isn't so clear cut. They have a method to doing it that came about because of their limitations in the physical world that he explained. And plans are subject to change and he doesn't know the details. So, dun be put off by it, it's just a summary to get us going. ;D _

_Also: The whole explanation was thought up using the canon from THE SHOW. The original, 3D animated cartoon. NOT the comics, NOT anything Japanese, NO. JUST the show. -_-' There's plenty of canon in there, I don't need the retconned stuff, thanks. :D :D SO, in the show you see displays of their power but outside of the instance when they float out of Tigerhawk and float on over to Tarantulas in that one episode whose name eludes me right now, you don't see them outside of a body/vehicle/whatev, so I figured, "Hey, let's make that their limitation. They're like sparks and ghosts, but with certain abilities that allow them to interact with the world around them in the physical world, subject to time and space, as long as they have a body of a certain kind to conduct said power. Further explanation than the one given in this chapter will be revealed as the story goes on. ;) _

_One more thing: I was concerned about Tarantulas's willing explanation and immediate recruitment. I mean, he was telling the truth OOCishly because he's freakin' scared. So there. XD He's going to be a lot of fun to write. Hooo, boy! XD_

_Airazor and Depth Charge's exchanges here were fun to write, in my opinion. I guess it's the first example of real interaction between them that shows personality. XD I hope yall like Airazor. She just always seemed to have a spunky side they didn't quite show in the cartoon as much as they could have. XD And even though she had to be rescued, I made sure she was kicking aft for a good while. ;D  
_

_And lastly – INFERNO!? WHAT ON EARTH?! He joined up way too easily with such an explanation! _

_Well, not really. ;D I mean, BA convinced him real easy that Megatron was THE Royalty, and from there, he kind of assumed Megs was the only Royalty right? And as the series rolled on it was just natural he was by his Queen's side. Well, Airazor did the same thing. (And I looked it up – fire ants do tend to have multiple Queens. XD ) She tried to reason the way Inferno might justify joining them, but is Inferno really so blind and stupid? I sure don't think he's some hidden genius, but from a couple scenes, and there really are only a COUPLE, I saw a deeper intelligence in him. What's Inferno really like? What was he thinking? If BA had a kind of "inner goodness", Inferno could too right? But what if he was turned Maximal again after being fusion cannon'd? How much would he change really? Hmm? Maybe Depth Charge underestimated him and he should be suspicious - maybe Inferno is only joining because the QUEEN demands it? It's the only way to get back to his Queen? Or maybe he's just really easily convinced. XD We'll have to find out. XD _

_I'm debating if I should have his whole ant logic vs. robot logic in conflict again. I might revisit it later. He kinda thinks with both at once, but with this new situation…Hmm…_

_I wrote it so the Preds, here, join up pretty easily and without question, but we'll see how they deviate or stick to it or if they really meant it as this story rolls on. ;3 _

_Oh yeah, and DC sure has a way to go on the leadership thing, but I think he managed to show his leadery side a bit there, yes? ;D_

_SO, am I happy with this chapter? Yes, except the ending and maybe some characterization. If they're OOC here, they'll be back to IC soon. :333 If you guys and gals have ideas of how I can better the chapter AKA the reasons Inferno, in particular, joins up, PLEASE PLEASE tell me and please tell me if I was successful or not as it is. That was TRICKAY! X___X_

_Please review, my fellow fans! ;D _

_See ya next Chapter in **'EPISODE' 3**!!!!! 8D_

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	8. Ep3 Rebel in Command, Part One

**Disclaimer:** _Dun own the chars or the show or whatev. -_-'_

**A/N:** _WOOT Next chapter. Meant to get this out sooner but I gashed my knee and got distracted and whatnot (16 stitches guys! And my first stitches ever! :D lol … because I stumbled. 9_9 ). Author's Discussion at the end answers some questions I was thinking I'd have or already had from my last chapter._

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact**

**Episode 3**

'**Rebel in Command', Part One**

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Heat wrapped around him, a cocoon of boiling rock entombing him and eating slowly at his frame. How long had he been here? For how long had he been dissolving away? Alone and barely conscious? He couldn't know. He simply existed, trapped in his own body, no sense of time or space. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't see, couldn't hear. He had grown used to the fact that what was once his mouth and throat was now clogged with volcanic spew, what was once his face was contorted in agony. His sense of touch was dull, limited to what he could feel from his imprisonment that he reasoned was perhaps his own spark. The constant heat seemed far away but he knew it must be close and at some time the bright, thick liquid would finally eat away at his outer armor and flood his inner circuitry.

How he was alive, he didn't know.

As the Transwarp wave had hit the Darksyde long ago – at least it felt like long ago, it could have been just a moment ago for all he knew – he had started to glow, his frame changing around him. But then a flash of indigo and claws and he was knocked into the lava pits that had so long heated their ship. As soon as he hit, still glowing, he sank and the lava had consumed him. However, somehow, the glow prevented the lava from melting him immediately. The heat fused his circuits and rendered him offline in nanocycles and he soon after that went into his current state - Stasis Lock.

But that's where the memories stopped. What had happened? Even with the memories he had, he couldn't figure it out. And there he stayed, his spark never tiring, running on the last dregs of energon that could be gleaned from the circuits surrounding his spark chamber. He would finally die soon, his spark no longer supported by energon would die quickly.

Not that he was scared - he was actually looking forward to it.

He wasn't conscious per se, but not totally out of it either. He was aware that he was trapped, aware that he was alone. At first he'd been frightened, not fond of tight spaces in the first place and this being trapped in his own body sent him into semi-catatonic hysterics. He had only himself as company and all his memories. And over time he had come to regret, justify, and defend with a lot of things about his past.

After that he'd grown bored.

And after that, he no longer cared, waiting and waiting for death to come.

And now, finally, that just might happen. He could feel his body moving around him, though he couldn't tell if it was up or down or sideways – his stabilization units were no longer connected to his spark anyways.

Slowly he felt the almost unbearably warm casing leave from around him, pulling away, and he wasn't so hot anymore. Was this dying? He was sure he'd begin his journey to Pit any cycle now.

_Annnnnyyyy_ cycle….

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Tarantulas worked tirelessly in his lair for a good 4 and a half days.

The Maximals and Predacons were in and out of the cave, bringing bits and pieces of stray technology alien to Earth from a few nearby battle sites they swept several times over. Everytime they scoured the sites they found something new and the pile grew steadily. The biggest piece they found so far, however, was a large segment of Optimus Primal's shoulder guard.

Meanwhile, the Vok hadn't been spotted at all. Tarantulas tried to detect them on radar but it was proving tricky. Their new forms seemed to mask them. When Tigerhawk had landed, his signal had been detected while he was still in space! These Vok were completely insulated somehow…

And then there was the new Driver he was working on…

It was coming to be spherical in shape and shiny blue-silver around the outside, alien symbols carved into it. The more he programmed it and added Vok tech to it, the more symbols appeared. It was like a living thing and reacted to those around it, the symbols flipping or glowing as various bots came near it. Around Tarantulas it was fairly still, vibrating slightly and a few symbols rotating every 3.28 nanos. It was fascinating. Once he figured out that thinking at it worked almost as well as actually programming it, he concentrated even harder on it.

This, in turn, led to him forgetting to refuel. This happened often – caught up in a project, he didn't refuel for days. And they wondered why he had such a large appetite… With this project, he was driven by fear but also by scientific discovery. He never imagined Vok influenced tech could be so interesting but the metal and parts were just so responsive to whoever fiddled with it it was hard not to be excited about it. Granted, that excitement dulled to a zombie-like state as his energon reserves dropped to dangerous levels.

He only roused himself when others were around, and then he was snappish and cranky.

And there was always at least one other around.

He refused to be alone and came up with some excuse to have someone stay with him. He'd never admit how terrifying it was to be possessed by the Vok, his pride was too great. So when asked questions he came up with a hundred different answers. None seemed to satisfy their curiosity, however. Even so, they relented.

But they weren't about to leave just anyone to keep him company. Depth Charge had huffed and said it wasn't his decision, so Inferno piped up and claimed he should be the one to watch over the traitorous spider, but Tigatron stepped in and said someone with smarts should watch him and volunteered. (He didn't really say that, of course. Maximal.) But Depth Charge said his nose would be handy in finding stray material on the field, so Airazor then tried to volunteer but Tigatron said no. Quickstrike stood by and let them decide. He was sure he wasn't staying. Guard duty wasn't his thing. The last was Rampage who really didn't want to stay. And Depth Charge had picked up on that. Commanding Rampage to stay behind, the others left, and since then it was always Rampage sticking around boredly while Tarantulas tinkered with his new device.

That was 3 days ago.

It was a clever system. Tarantulas did not like that Rampage was no longer under control. Technically, Rampage could do whatever he wanted and wouldn't get in trouble since no one like the scientist anyway. Depth Charge, even, was showing an almost subconscious aversion to the Spiderbot. However, the crab was very smart and also had his own aversion to the spider – fine with Tarantulas. He kept his distance, even when Tarantulas was obviously not feeling up to par. Only today the crab had taken advantage. With Tarantulas not very energized and not going to refuel anytime soon, Rampage had left the spider to his own devices and Tarantulas could only wonder what the crustacean went off to do…

Hm, almost finished with this thing, he thought and sneaked a glance the energon dispenser before shaking his head no.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

They were about 30 clicks from Tarantulas's lab and had been here for the better part of 7 megacycles. Here it was temperate climate, which meant a lot of trees, which in turn meant a lot of debris, which in turn meant even more places to look for scrap parts. It looked like this had been a nasty battle. Seemed like any and everyone had had pieces missing and trees everywhere were shattered or fallen.

Depth Charge grunted as he attempted, once more, to lift this tree trunk off the stash of Cybertronian alloys they detected beneath it, but it was proving to be a very difficult task, considering one of his companions wanted to shoot it to pieces and the other wanted to burn it.

"For … the last time…" he said, his voice strained midlift. "Nooooo…."

Inferno deflated slightly and Depth Charge sighed heavily.

"I need you to _lift_ it, not destroy it," the ray continued, voicing his real need for the first time since this trip started. Before he'd been insulting them, dropping hints, suggesting plans, or asking questions – anything but giving a direct order – but these bots just didn't get it.

The ant finally gave up, seeing as he had a new commander who apparently did not approve of fire, and helped lift the rather large bulk with a salute and renewed gusto while Quickstrike took it upon himself to whine.

"Awww, but _Boss_ - "

"Don't call me that or you're lifting this yourself," Depth Charge growled.

"But what's a little shootin' gonna do - ?"

"_Get down there!_!" Depth Charge yelled. The tree trunk was finally up, but it was _huge_. He and Inferno were strong but the tree's length made the weight hard to carry for an extended period of time. While the ant and ray held it aloft, Quickstrike shut up and crawled under, picking up all the little bits of – who was it now? Looked like Rattrap. Hmph. _Varmint_.

They were scanning this battle field for the 6th time and it looked clear except for the pile of scrap under this tree the scorpion had accidently scanned when he tripped over a root. After this was cleared, their area was finished and the land would heal itself with time.

Tigatron and Airazor were still gone, scanning yet another field further north, but it seemed the Maximals had been pretty thorough with the large debris whenever they fought, leaving nothing of use to the survivors behind.

Any wires they found were practically useless, any armor they found was warped and had to be repaired before they could be recycled, any bullets they found were used and had to be reconstructed…

It was slowly becoming clear to them that they'd have to try to find the spots where the Maximals and Predacons were least likely to have cleaned up after themselves, without any real guarantee, of course. Rhinox was a methodical and careful mech, even if _Optimus_ wasn't, as was Megatron. They surely wouldn't have left too much behind. But he knew they couldn't possibly have taken everything with them… But where was it? The Predacons weren't exactly prone to accurate information, having been deceived or manipulated constantly by their ex-leader. Not to mention these two were... a little….Stupid, Depth Charge thought. So being led to specific locations by Inferno and Quickstrike was a slim possibility. Tigatron and Airazor had been missing for a good chunk of the Beast Wars, the important parts anyway, and Depth Charge both arrived late and didn't care much at the time for anything but finding his Justice. Rampage was smart enough to help, but would he? The ray wasn't willing to ask and no one else seemed to have thought of it. Tarantulas? Maybe, but he was busy…

"Done, Bo- I mean, uh, _Depth Charge_," the slick Fuzor announced as he scrambled out from under the tree. The trunk thudded to the ground with flying leaves. Depth Charge hopped over the woody barrier and started marching back to 'base.'

"Wha - We're all done already!?" Quickstrike whimpered. "Ain't there nothin' out here ta_ do_?"

Depth Charge ignored the Transmetal bug and continued walking. No there wasn't. Except the Vok and they weren't so easily defeated. Besides, the ray wanted to refuel.

"Royalty! What about the tiger and hawk? They have not yet returned," Inferno reported, standing at attention.

Depth Charge stopped midstride, mostly because the term "Royalty" was causing severe nervous ticks of late; enough to give him pause. But he did consider that. What were they doing?

As if on cue, his radio flared to life.

_Airazor to Depth Charge. We found quite a load of scraps up here. A Maximal communication console. We're fixing it up for lift off, but it's too big for us to carry ourselves._

Depth Charge looked at the two with him before responding.

"Fine. I'm on my way."

He shut off the comm link.

"Inferno, Quickstrike, get back to base and take the slag we found with you. I'll go check on the other two and meet you there," he ordered without analyzing his status for once. He jumped up and transformed without waiting for a response. "Depth Charge, Maximize."

The flying manta took off in the direction the two mates had gone, leaving the Predacons to watch for a few moments. The departure had been sudden. They glanced at each other then down at the crumbs of metal in their arms.

"Let us return to base!" the ant said with sudden enthusiasm and turn on his heel. He swiped Quickstrike who leaped back to get out of the way but nearly dropped his pile. He cursed. These hands weren't _made_ for holdin' things.

After he was sure he had everything, the scorpion turned and flailed along to catch up with the red ant.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A few miles away, Rampage was standing out on the long slabs of black igneous rock that floated atop the live magma that churned below. Having finally wrestled his prize from the death trap, he paused to reflect over it…

"…Your spark … it's ready to perish, Silent One," Rampage muttered softly, his hand resting on the rough hot rock before him. It travelled down along the sides of the formation, tracing its contours as he wondered what to do with it.

He'd pulled this particular chunk from the lava, burning himself and healing over and over to get this out. Before, this being had been sunk too deep for him to reach, not to mention entombed by lava. But since Tigerhawk's grand entrance into the Beast Wars, it had been thrown up along the sides of the hot, rocky basin. This chunk had been half buried in cooling magma, but far more attainable, by the time he'd found it a couple megacycles ago.

"Since I was taken prisoner and brought to that ship, enslaved by Megatron's paranoia and powerlust, I have sensed your soul beneath this roiling molten rock. You were calm and dreamed often. But lately… you've gone quiet."

The crabbot's hand found where the Spark was beating fast in anticipation of its demise and settled over it lightly.

"I could end your suffering, your waiting. I could release you from this prison and devour that which keeps you tethered to this realm…" he whispered. His three hand curled inward, ready to reach in and rip the small, pulsing orb from the confines of the rock.

But he hesitated.

And his curiosity kicked in.

Why hadn't it withered away already? Why hadn't Megatron retrieved it? Surely the saurian would at least offhandedly attempt to salvage a soldier. With the likes of Inferno and Waspinator about, how could Megatron let slip a soldier with any capacity to fight when he could have another at his command? Why did it deserve such a punishment? Was it intelligent at all? Was it a flyer? What was it like? What had its beast mode been? What was its name?

He didn't bother asking anyone. Again, no one would answer.

So how could he find out?

Drag it to Tarantulas and tell him to get this bot out of there… Would that work?

He thought about the consequences of tearing it open. He'd still have to drag back the remains or they could be found in the future – he thought why he should care for a moment, before the thought passed as quickly as it had come. And when examined, it would be revealed that whoever it was had still been alive and the hole in the thing would be discovered where the spark had been, and even if he covered it up or something, spark residue or whatever it was could still tell the others what happened. Then the whole shock and incredulity thing that seemed to happen whenever someone died and blahblahblah. So, why not just go through the trouble of taking it back now. He supposed he could just kill whoever it was later if he really needed to, right? …And he really was curious who it was who'd been around that whole time he'd been enslaved:

Curled up in his quarters, Rampage would hate the world just as intensely as it seemed it did him. The others feared him, and he hated it. Sometimes, they admired him, and he hated that too. A few times he'd been ridiculed or discussed as being an "it", a "thing." Yet another aspect he hated about them all. Especially the more verbose of them. The smile on Megatron's face when he crushed the little box, or the smirk on Dinobot's when he pinched Rampage's spark, pure malevolence seeping from the both of them, made him afraid, sorrowful, and very _very_ angry. Quickstrike was too dumb to realize the danger he presented and flounced about in that weird way of his, oblivious that calling the crab 'friend' or addressing him as an equal was as annoying as it was confusing. Rampage tended to ignore him, but the others…Inferno infuriated him and Waspinator was pathetic. The shespider, while she'd been around, was intelligent and avoided him, but prone to talking about him like he was... Didn't care for her much either. And Tarantulas? Interesting, but he hated him. The only one who never bothered him was the imprisoned spark under the lava. Silent but fickle in its emotions the spark just sat there, sometimes moving around as the convection currents moved it. For a time, it had been right under his quarters and floated around under him, minding its own business, the only business it had really. It was kind of like having a pet that was completely oblivious to his attention, but had its own personality and thoughts anyway. Much better company than all those other morons - and an easy snack if it hadn't been under the ship. So why not wake it up? See what this being really was?

He hoisted the warm, jagged rock up over the lip of the ledge it had been sitting at and continued to pull it along back to the cave. He'd carry it, but its shape was a little too unwieldy to balance properly in any of his forms on the hot, uneven ground he traversed at the moment. He'd switch to beast mode when he got to cooler, solid dirt but for now…

Rampage chuckled darkly. Should he really bother? With his luck, he'd probably be disappointed.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

When Depth Charge landed on the soft wet ground 10 clicks north, he found Tigatron and Airazor in beast mode sitting on a fallen log. A thin, wispy sheet of snow covered the ground and the pine trees blew in a soft, cold breeze. He hadn't realized they'd gone this far north. Snow…he didn't like it.

"Hi, Depth Charge," Airazor greeted, standing and transforming. She gestured to a large makeshift crate standing next to the log. "This is it."

"Looks like the Predacons destroyed it," Tigatron said, also standing.

The raybot nodded and walked forward to test the weight of this cargo. He felt a bit awkward, suddenly aware that the other two were staring in a way that seemed to suggest they wanted to speak to him. Frustration flared.

"This had better not be about - "

"Who _else_ is going to lead us?" Airazor interrupted, beating him to the punch.

Depth Charge chuffed.

"Why does there _need_ to be a leader? We've been doing fine so far," he said, dragging the crate away from the log and looking through the contents.

Tigatron joined in, "You give out orders without even realizing you're issuing them. And we _follow_. Inferno follows you and Quickstrike already knows you as his leader. Rampage has to follow your orders because of your … agreement. I am no leader – I hunt alone. And Airazor _wants_ you to be leader."

"You're the biggest and most angry in the group," Airazor intoned, and Depth Charge's tail flicked in annoyance. Angry…? "But you keep a level head for the most part. I'm not saying you're like Megatron, but you have an attitude the Predacons are familiar with and are willing to listen to."

Depth Charge transformed into his flight mode and hovered low to the ground. So he was a Predacon now? He thought harshly. He wondered why that bothered him, but he also wondered if it really mattered.

"I'll carry it on my back, but you'll have to keep it in place. We don't have cables or rope to use," he announced definitely, closing the conversation, and the other two looked at each other, giving it up for now. He still wouldn't listen.

Struggling, they heaved the large crate onto manta ray's back as squarely as they could get it. It scratched the outer armor near the tail, but the small cuts healed in less than a few nanocycles – the ray shuddered but said nothing. He only got quieter, somehow, and his body was tense. He was denying this whole thing. It was really rather childish, in Airazor's opinion. Tigatron climbed up next, holding the front end of the crate while Airazor held the back in Robot mode, flying along to keep it stable. They were soon in the air, Depth Charge flying slow to keep them on his back.

Airazor shook her head in frustration.

"What do you expect, Depth Charge? Someone to just rise up and take command for himself?" she asked exasperatedly.

No reply.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Interesting…very intriguing…" Tarantulas muttered with a bark of laughter as he hovered around the broiled lump in front of him.

Rampage looked on with curiosity evident in his wide optics. As soon as he carried this in 10 cycles ago, Tarantulas had happened to look up and did a double take before realizing what it was Rampage brought in. Since then, he'd been mumbling to himself and running scans all over the rock, the alien device temporarily given a rest behind him.

"I've been wondering if Transmetal technology can withstand the intense heat of lava. Almost having been thrown in myself on more than one occasion, I was interested in learning just to what degree these bodies could withstand - …And since he disappeared before anyone knew what happened…I always wondered if he'd really perished…Megatron never bothered to…and I never bothered either...He was annoying…Hrrmmmm…" The spider mumbled to himself, but also to Rampage who was listening intently, gathering the facts as he found them and piecing them together for himself.

"But it seems he was in the process of transmetalizing and then the transmetal upgrade prevented him from dying. However, it overloaded his circuits and managed to damage the processor….the head in general actually…and eat away at his limbs. It never got to his spark chamber, though…His chest is mostly intact. You reached him in time. He likely would have died in the next few solar cycles, ehheheee…"

Rampage nodded. He knew that part…

"Hmm…Well, it seems I have the test subject I needed. Kyeehheheehe…"

"Test subject?" Rampage asked cautiously.

"Yes, a _test subject_. Someone to experiment on?" Tarantulas defined with sarcasm dripping from his words. Surely _Rampage_ knew what a test subject was! Ha!

Rampage glared, his optics increasing in luminosity in the dim cave, his aura somehow getting bigger without him moving an inch, and Tarantulas shrunk back. Yup, he knew.

"Ah - that is - a test subject for the upgrades I announced earlier. I am almost finished with the driver and I doubt anyone here wants to try it out on themselves…Might as well use the dying mech, right?" he said from practically under the table.

Rampage still glared but saw the reasoning and nodded, slowly. He crossed his arms and stood straight.

"Will he be the same as he was before?" he inquired, daring the mech to give him a disrespectful answer again. The spider didn't. Good.

"Yes. Granted, it will take some time for all his memories to be uploaded to a new processor, heh, but yes he will essentially be the same," he answered eagerly, already picking up the alien device and moving it in his hands.

"The device should be able to purge anything non-metal from his frame as he reformats..." the spider giggled, logging something into the computer and bringing a lamp down over the igneous rock.

Next he took a small, wiry apparatus and made a few more adjustments on the Driver, closing it. The small sphere vibrated and emitted energy potent enough it could almost be seen. Tarantulas leaned in close a moment, admiring how it moved. He waved a hand in front of it and it shivered, signs flipping and glowing in response. He let out a chuckle and took long pliers, lifting the device from the worktable and bringing it to the berth.

"Now to activate and transfer the energy from the device to – _Gah_!"

The device acted of its own accord. Programmed and given directive, the device pulled away from the pliers and positioned itself over the rock. It started to spin, its odd shapes glowing brighter and brighter. Tarantulas and Rampage took steps backwards as it spun and released armlike protrusions of energy that reached into the rock below it. More and more arms came out, pulsing with energy and a strange sound.

"It's _working_!!" the spider cheered, hiding behind an overturned berth.

Just in case, Rampage moved behind a rock pillar and waited.

The light filled the cave as if a protoform was adopting a new form ,the light white and pure in its energy. Pieces of the igneous blob broke apart and flew off the table as the form was repositioned, repaired, and updated.

As quickly as this all happened, it stopped. The light went out and the Driver was left hovering of its own accord over the newly revealed red Cybertronian. Tentatively, Tarantulas approached the device with the pliers again. Extending his mismatched arms, he gently took the device the from the air and sit it down on the table, where it stopped moving.

Rampage, too, crept closer. The mech was slender with bright red armor. He had … jets? In his feet, and long red wings curved upwards from his back. Bits of bright gold, almost glasslike, accent some edges in his armor and his smooth face was white. He looked highly advanced, like the high tech flyers Rampage saw when he reached various colonies on the run. Lightly built, fast, powerful, and well armored.

Tarantulas wrote notes on a stray data pad he pulled from nowhere, his optic band shining with interest. Once he was finished with the superficial observations he grew impatient with the bot, who was obviously coming around but taking his time. He slapped the mech over the head, who shot up in alarm with a squawk.

"_Wake up_, already! We don't have eternity to sit around waiting for you," Tarantulas barked, stylus in hand. "Now… get up and walk around so I can see how you fare, heh."

The red mech wasn't listening.

He looked around the cave looking absolutely bewildered before is optics settled on Rampage. He stared a moment before speaking.

"Who are you?" he croaked.

The larger mech answered, "Rampage. You?"

"I'm…" he thought a moment. He could remember the lava and that he'd been down there a long time. He also remembered he had thought a lot about stuff. Not like he could do much else. Now that he had processor, he realized he hadn't liked it down there at all. He shuddered. Then he tried to remember before that and focused on his name. It slowly came around… "Terrorsaur…" he finished, nodding at how it felt right.

Another whack over the head.

"_Get moving_!!" Tarantulas hissed, brandishing his data pad.

"Relax, Tarantulas! I'm _going_! By the _Pit_!" Terrorsaur groused and scooted off the table to stand.

Once he did, he immediately stumbled, catching himself on a stalagmite. He looked at his feet.

"What the slag!?" he screeched. "What happened to my – And my – My body? What happened to it? It's all…I'm not a _jet _anymore, I shouldn't have – "

"You have aspects of your transmetal form written into this one. It's a combination of your first form, with your transmetal alt modes, with your original capabilities. Your beast mode's behavior is now incorporated into your system to an extent, and if I'm correct, your beast mode should have a holomatter projector to make it look incredibly realistic…" the spider interrupted, walking closer and peering at Terrorsaur's form.

"Well, stop staring. I'm not one of your experiments," the flyer grumbled, righting himself. The jets in his feet felt different, but he could get used to them.

"Sure you aren't," the scientist replied, jotting more notes.

Learning a new body wasn't hard, really, but learning a new body right after being in stasis forever was a little difficult. It didn't take him long to adjust how he walked, but what was taking up his concentration was having the wing appendages on his back sticking out. They were getting in the way as he walked around and they seemed more sensitive to wind changes than he remembered. He found he could move them though, and tried to tuck them in, but they didn't go far. The blades sticking out from his elbow junctions were nice, he could work with those. He had a feeling they might have been on this "transmetal" form because they certainly weren't part of the form he remembered before he "died."

By the time Terrorsaur reached the end of the cave, he was feeling more confident and strode about, looking for a good place to try flying. Tarantulas was right behind him, but Terrorsaur, almost oblivious, ignored him.

"_Here_ we are!" he exclaimed upon finding a large dome not far from where he'd started. With a mental switch he activated...what was that? Antigrav? And his jets. This was way more familiar a flight mode than his jetpack had been, to be honest. Had he been a jet before he came to this planet? He couldn't…quite remember. But he didn't dwell on that. He rose into the air and flew a few circles before trying maneuvering between the pillars and stalactites. Very nice. In no time he was completely accustomed to his robot mode and felt …. Almost at "home." He wasn't locked up in the dark, hot confines of his chest somewhere, only vaguely aware of the world around him, he felt _normal_! Actually, he felt better than normal. Especially once he found his weapons were upgraded too.

"Very nice…Very, _very _nice!" he said, and Tarantulas seemed to write that down. The flyer paused, both liking and disliking the attention at once. Suddenly he realized that the spider looked different. "Hey, what happened to you? You look like slag," he asked point blank.

Tarantulas gave him a Look.

"If you must know, I was attacked by the Vok," he responded in monotone.

Terrorsaur glanced around.

"Aren't they those alien things? They're here?"

Tarantulas exchanged glances with Rampage, who was still over at the berth. His tanks grumbled. He groaned.

"Sit," he ordered.

Terrorsaur followed the spider back over to the lab setup, but didn't sit down out of defiance. Rampage tilted his head at that, raising an optic ridge and making piecing things together in his head. Tarantulas proceeded to relate everything that happened after Terrorsaur disappeared. His version was rather short, but the details weren't lost and Terrorsaur was able to follow along pretty well, even if some of the sarcasm was lost on him. Not much phased him, maybe due to shock or disbelief, although finding out this was Earth all along, he knew Dinobot must have felt like an idiot. Hah.

"…and so now, the Maximals have left with Megatron and now it's only us and a few others here to find a way off the planet before the Vok destroy us all," Tarantulas wrapped up his story with a flourish of his drink before downing the rest.

"What? Megatron was taken down and I wasn't around to see it!?" Terrorsaur exclaimed, not sure whether to laugh or hit something. They'd left him down there! Megatron was always monitoring the slagging lava pits for temperature and pressure and gases that bubbled up sometimes! How could he not know he was down there? And how could he leave him there? It wasn't fair! But Megatron had failed, gotten himself captured while Terrorsaur, and apparently others, were left free. Ha! Moron. He knew he'd fail! Ever since the time Megatron let him lead, Terrorsaur was a little unsure about holding power over the Predacons, but he'd come to think that without Megatron hovering over him, waiting for him to fail, he'd probably be excellent! He could do it! Maybe this was his chance! And with Megatron out of the way…and with a new, more advanced body…

"Oh, and Depth Charge refuses to be leader because he has self esteem issues," Tarantulas added thoughtfully as he looked over his notes. Rampage blinked. His voice sounded a little too…casual.

Terrorsaur almost didn't hear but he replayed what was said and he glanced up.

"Wa- Wait…" he started to ask, a sly smirk growing on his face.

"We don't have a leader?"

As Terrorsaur stared off with a grin, his mental cogs churning, Rampage couldn't help but smirk along with him. Maybe this wouldn't be as disappointing as he thought.

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**Author's Discussion:**

_Thought I should bring up some important points intro'd in this chapter._

_First and foremost: The upgrades._

_The upgrades, after much thought, are upping the graphics of my reader's mental image of the characters. I LOVE them as they are, believe me, and they won't change much on form or anything. Here's what's up and please tell me what you think: The upgrades are taking a form I feel really matched them and their purpose. Namely, their season one forms. Or the first form they ever had. ( In DC, Page, and QS's cases, they'll stay TM looking.) From there, we upgrade their looks. Still the same, but more detail, more realism - modern day CGI, with some Movieverse influence while keeping their forms the same. On top of that, two things happen._

_Weapons and abilities are a combo of their other forms. Terrorsaur, for instance has jet influence in his design now, not only because his original Cybertronian form might have been a jet, but because his third mode in Transmetal form, according to his toy and maybe a comic somewhere, was a jet. Airazor will be similar in that she might have been a flyer before Earth and because a toy or two has a vehicle alt mode like a jet. Or cuz the upgrade gives her one anyway or something. I have to really think about that. Other than the jet part of his TM form, however, I hate his robot mode design. =_=_

_Their beast modes are incredibly realistic in design if not in size. Like Tarantulas said, there's a holomatter projector that gives their armor the texture and look of real fur/feathers/scales/plates/whatev. This means that when they're in Beast Mode, they automatically turn on their holomatter (or they leave it on all the time. Tigatron and Airazor might like that, while the other might turn it off all the time or in robot mode or whatev.) and look like real animals. __Robots in disguise, people. On top of that, I was thinking that maybe the Vok can't possess organic things. They can influence them sure, but they can't possess them or make it do something against its nature. The holomatter could help protect them against the Vok by providing an outer covering that not only disguises them but shields them from being possessed too by imitating organic form in their energy sig and stuff…can't be detected on scanners…like Beast Machines but not being ONE with organicness, IMITATING it, just like their ancestors somehow were able to imitate car parts and rubber when they took on Earth forms o.O …. What do you think? Tigatron would look like a real white tiger with realistic green eyes ( o-o pretty! Lol! ) instead of a 90s CGI tiger. :D OH! Or imagine a yellowish scorpion with a real cobra for a tail. :3 OH, and Rampage isn't exactly crablike in the face area of his Beast Mode, so I was thinking that, without the holomatter on he'd look like he does in the show, pretty much, but with it on his face looks more crablike._

_NOTE FOR THOSE AGAINST THE IDEA: This whole upgrade thing is NOT the focus of the story here. The upgrades, really and truly, are meant to get across how I'm seeing them here and helping advance the plot. I love the show and the animation, but I think it's outdated and all the body changes were unnecessary in the sense that they're original forms had real, true purpose that could be advanced! I not only love the robot part of Beast Wars, but I'm a big animal lover and the thought of honoring the real animals' potential and strengths and also seeing them with real looking beast modes is exciting. I certainly like it in my head! :D HOWEVER, they are not the focus of the story and I will not describe the new forms in full, like, Mary Sue detail. A lot of the description is up to the reader, I just want you all to be aware of what the changes are and how I'm envisioning them so you know it's not random when I say "Tarantulas flipped into his motorcycle mode" when two sentences ago I mentioned something that was obviously his season one form or something. Ya know what I mean? Pick your fave aspects of all the character's forms and combine them together or something. I need them all to have protection against the Vok that's plausible and also for them all to be visually be the same. Not to mention a way for Terry to come back from the dead without using a stasis pod again. -_- ;D So there. :P PM me if you have questions._

_Secondly, the title. 8D LOL not that important, but I did think long and hard on it, and if you think about it and what I wrote in this chapter, I think you can see where we're going in this episode. XD_

_Thirdly, Rampage. I liked how I wrote him here. It's been brought to my attention by a few people now they like how isn't portrayed as an out of control killer and all that in my story and I have to say thank you, because I honestly think that the whole "Blaargh! Imma kill you all!" thing is OOC for him unless he has reason to lose it. I can understand some plotlines calling for it, of course, but just being a thing or beast is so NOT him. He's curious and introspective, as seen many times in the show when he's around. So I played on that here. He was seriously considering eating/messing around with Terroraur's spark for fun and for little snack he hasn't had in a while, but then his curiosity interfered and he reasoned he'd like to know his victim before killing him. :3 See? I think he walks a fine edge between killing because he knows it's fun to flex his power, but he also has a processor to think with too. So here he is, quiet and observing and finding himself intrigued by Terrorsaur's apparent lack of respect towards Megatron. Kinda like finding out your cat or dog is suddenly able to speak and express themselves and you find you shre something in common after all so decide to stick around and go with things because of the novelty of it all._

_And think about it. While Terrorsaur was around, Megatron had someone on his team that backtalked him or disobeyed/halfheartedly finished orders despite knowing he'd likely pay for it later. A lot like Rampage, wouldn't you say? Other than Terrorsaur and Rampage, the only Preds who ever gave Megs problems were the spiders, but that was all in the background. Around Megatron they were compliant and aware of his physical power. They relented. It's not the same. So, I reasoned that maybe Rampage could like that. They aren't very alike in their history or personality, but that aspect of them both, I think, has GOT to be nice. Finding a predecessor who gave Megs problems continually has to be fun, and with Terrorsaur's humorous ambition and him not being the sharpest crayon in the box, the possibility of a takeover has got to be amusing. :D So that's where I'm going with that and I look forward to seeing how that works out.  
_

_If there's something I missed, please Review or PM me with questions and I'll answer. :3_

_Thank you to my reviewers!!! :D :D :D And favers and story alerters – although I know I'd REALLLLLY like it if you actually said something. ;D_

_Please review! :3 Love to hear comments and suggestions and theories!_

_Until next chappie,_

_~Dal ;3_

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	9. Ep3 Rebel in Command, Part Two

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Beast Wars and all that. ;_;_

_**A/N :** :D I'm back! :D  
_

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact**

**Rebel in Command, Part 2**

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"Quickstrike! You lag behind! You are not injured, nor are you laden with heavy materials, so pick up your pace!!" Inferno yelled into the forest ahead of him.

Quickstrike barely heard, trying to balance the tiny trinkets in his strange hands as he mounted the hill. They were coming to the opening of the forest where the ground turned warm and the smell of sulfur was more apparent. These plants probably thrived on the volcanic refuse in the dirt over here, which was likely why the forest was so thick, even near the end of it. Not that Quickstrike cared or was even thinking of it. Instead, he was cursing the roots he kept tripped over, his loping gait interrupted every few steps. Inferno didn't have this problem – he burned, stomped, crashed, or simply stepped over the offending limbs in his determined stride.

A determined stride that was abruptly halted at the top of the hill.

Quickstrike could hear an exclaimed name come from the ant in surprise and wonder and something else, before the red bot grew angry and his voice carried louder.

"Traitors!" he claimed for all the trees to hear.

Quickstrike neared the top, curious. What he found was a slender red flyer, hands on hips and looking proud, with Rampage and Tarantulas flanking him.

"That's right, Inferno. I'm back and I'm taking over! Hehe," the bot smirked. "Since Megatron went and got himself caught or something, I announce myself Leader of the Predacons!"

"Well, this guy sure got big dreams, don't he, Inferno? Shoot," Quickstrike chuckled, amused. Inferno didn't answer a moment, a look of indecision on his face. Rampage's optics narrowed in thought.

Terrorsaur squinted at the Fuzor.

"The slag is that thing?" he asked, genuinely confused.

Quickstrike went blank.

"What? This?" he asked, holding up a piece of Rattrap's armor.

"No. _You_. What are _you_? You look like a … like a … "

"Like a _what_?" Quickstrike countered, optics angrily defensive.

"A Fuzor," Tarantulas intervened.

"…A what?" Terrorsaur asked, optic ridge raised.

"A Fuzor. It's a transformer with two beast modes mashed into one," Tarantulas defined.

"Oh. Well, anyway, we got somewhere to go and I'll extend the invitation once – you wanna join my side and blow stuff up, or keep following this 'Depth Charge' and pick daisies all day?" the flyer asked, smarmy again.

Quickstrike thought for a moment. Just a moment.

"Blow stuff up?" he inquired, his voice shaking a little with battlelust as his mech fluid pumped with excitement. "Like, a fight? A_ real_ one? No pickin' up after Maximals and all that? We can just…run around and fight the Maximals again!?"

Terrorsaur blinked.

"Uhh, yeah, sure. Exactly. But following _my_ orders."

Quickstrike nodded quickly, dropping the stash of parts on the ground and whooping and he went to stand next to Tarantulas.

"What about you, Inferno?" Terrorsaur asked the ant, who still looked contemplative. The two of them were never exactly on common ground and Terrorsaur often tried to take command from Inferno on missions, although Inferno obviously thought no one was in charge but Megatron no matter where he was or who he was with. Even so, Inferno was a Predacon and without Megatron or another 'rightful' leader, he'd still be a Pred right?

"No. I… No," Inferno replied hesitantly, looking around him for something no one could see. With effort, a march in place and quick shakes of his head, he gathered his usual enthusiasm together and activated his propulsion system, hovering upwards. "I will report this to the Royalty! You are all traitors to our colony and so you will pay!!" he shouted and with a wave of fire the others ducked away from, he was gone.

Well that was disappointing. Terrorsaur considered going after him but his self preservation instincts kicked in and he decided he'd rather not. He had enough of fire, thanks.

"Alright, so while he goes in search of Depth Charge, we're heading out to find our new base!" Terrorsaur announced.

Tarantulas nodded calmly.

"And we leave all my equipment behind?"

"We'll come back for it later. I know you've got other stuff hidden in weird places."

With a slow blink, Tarantulas wrote that down now too, chuckling darkly.

With that, the small group was off through the woods, heading away from their 'new' enemy's base and looking for a nice spot to settle in.

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**-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

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"But Wazpinator _like_ squishy worshipperz! Worshipperz like Wazpinator!"

With grunts and angry looks, the various hominids before him herded him backwards towards a tree. They surrounded him, brandishing various primitive weapons and advancing slowly.

Waspinator thought he'd been happy. He was being worshipped and everyone loved him! He threw one little rock out of boredom and hit one of them by accident and all of a sudden they hated him! He didn't mean to! And they were supposed to be his servants, his followers, his army! They betrayed him! This was so unfair!

"Why Universe hate Wazpinator!?" he asked pathetically as he backed into a log.

Wait, no…it wasn't a log. It was a bent tree, the top held down by male hominids. What the - ?

"Wait! Stop! Wazpinator is leader! Fleshy-bots do what Wazpinator sayz!!"

The crowd roared and a few males came forward, pressing against him and touching him with their soft hands. They backed him onto the tree. Most of them were shorter than him, and if Waspinator had been braver, more aggressive, he could have easily knocked them back and even wiped them out. But he wasn't and, instead, was unwillingly set upon the tree-turned-catapult and vaulted over the forest, away from the hominid settlement, figuratively launched back into the misery he had thought he'd left behind.

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Inferno flew as fast as his systems would let him into the colder climate of the northern regions. They had to be around here somewhere…

He had been very confused back there. Terrorsaur was dead. Megatron had said so after the takeover of Maximal base failed and Optimus came back despite being at the heart of the quantum surge. His ex-Leader had been so adamant, even cutting the ant off when Inferno suggested that they scan the lava to be sure. Inferno had grieved, in a quiet way, at the time, before resuming his duties. They were fellow soldiers, fellow Predacons, other members of his colony and they perished when disaster struck. They deserved to be remembered and honored. At the same time, he'd thought that fellow colonists worked, fought, and died all the time and it shouldn't affect him. But that was besides the point here.

The Royalty had said they were gone and he believed him… But Terrorsaur…he was back? That meant Megatron was wrong. But since Megatron was hardly ever wrong, maybe his Queen had let the two fall to their deaths and either assumed their fate or was glad to be rid of them. Either way, it was very 'un-Queenly' and, once again, Life threw a metaphorical wrench into his twisted logic's gears. Luckily, he'd recovered enough back there to remember his new loyalty and he was now in search of the elusive Maximals. He hadn't realized they'd flown this far north.

THERE!!!

His keen, and somewhat obsessed, optics honed in on a wide, teal shape looming out of the low level clouds before him. Tigatron and Airazor were there too, it seemed, and none seemed to have spotted him.

He rushed over, arm waving about and yelling incoherently, but a cloud passed in front of him and in a split moment he felt pain and vertigo as he spun towards the ground.

"INFERNO!?" Depth Charge shouted over the sound of rushing wind before the heap crashed into the cool, moist, grassy slopes below. The crate was tipped over and the parts spilled out and rolled down the hill while Airazor was tossed into a tree and Tigatron was launched over the hill and conked his head on a log. Inferno was pinned under Depth Charge who was still in flight mode. He was shivering lightly and his frame was freezing from the winds but the look on his ray face did not project discomfort from temperature.

"What. The. Slag. Inferno?" the larger bot glared. He felt fine but – oh wait, of course he was uninjured. He growled. Transforming, he stepped back, the quiver in his fins faintly noticeable.

Inferno saluted from where he was in the dirt before standing as well.

"Royalty! Terrorsaur has returned and has taken Rampage, Tarantulas, and the Fuzor as his new army. They plan to destroy us after they find a new base!"

"Terrorsaur!?" Tigatron and Airazor exclaimed in unison.

"Who?" Depth Charge asked impatiently, left optic twitching from aggravation.

"Terrorsaur. A traitorous flyer who tried to overthrow Megatron a few times in order to gain power he thought was rightfully his or something," Airazor breathed out quickly, untangling a twig from some metal feathers on her helm. "He was bad news. Not the best flyer, but deadly enough, and unexpectedly smart sometimes. How'd he come back?"

Inferno glanced at her.

"Unknown! The Fuzor and I were returning to base, as per your orders," he gestured to Depth Charge with respect and the ray lifted his optics skyward, "when we happened upon them in the forest close to the lava pits. It seems Terrorsaur has some…upgrades to his frame. He looks different, but not Transmetal. They might have come from the labs but the flyer mentioned they had somewhere to go! Quickstrike went with him."

Depth Charge and the other two thought a moment.

"Perhaps locating more troops or a new base…" Tigatron offered.

The manta nodded slowly and looked south, anger in his optics.

He knew what this meant.

If they went out to quell this 'uprising'…he might have to actually assert himself as Leader, make it clear to all of them who was 'Boss.' But he didn't want to. He couldn't lead again! It wasn't his job anymore! On the other hand, he had to or else this might turn into a whole other war…and he'd be 'leader' of three bots who already decided they'd follow him anyway… And – ugh! There were so many solid, logical reasons he should take leadership, especially his own opinion that he certainly wouldn't follow any of these morons, and if he wanted anything done he'd have to do it himself. What better way to do that than run the show himself and have the others help him instead of getting in his way? They'd get in his way anyway, but at least they might do what he said, right? And yet, all his reasons not to were based on regret and his unwillingness to change or take authority. And such emotional opinions should be below him. Emotions should drive a person while logic and routine shaped a person and their actions. Before, he was driven by anger and hate and regret, but always had his own routine, his own rule book, and thought quite logically that X – Rampage, was far too dangerous to live and no matter the politics behind his sentence someone had to step up to the plate and rid the Universe of that thing. And now….he had to make a new routine, a routine that meant that others were his responsibility. Again. If he didn't, though, as much as he didn't want to, they could perish or something worse.

He sighed roughly.

Was this really a big deal? Why couldn't they handle it? They were three capable beings, strong warriors, and two of them already had a steady dynamic and all three had past experience with this Terrorsaur. They didn't need a leader to take down some punk! He'd come along if they really needed but otherwise they were on their own!

Idiots. They were all idiots!

His fists clenched and he was about to tell them to go fix it themselves when a thought struck him. He should have thought of it sooner and it didn't make sense to him why he hadn't.

"Rampage is with them," he half asked, half stated, his optics spacey. Something was tugging at him, something daring him to come after it. A beckoning. A challenge to take what was his, if he had the mechanical guts to take it. It pulled, tiny and barely noticeable, but increasingly frustratingly, at his Spark. Was Rampage baiting him? To be leader? Why would he want…what was his plan?

Inferno nodded his affirmation.

"He seemed willing to follow the flyer's command, my Queen."

Depth Charge roared and turned, kicking a heavy piece of computer debris and sending it whirling into its fellow pieces that littered the ground.

"SLAG!"

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Terrorsaur flew at a low altitude so as to not draw unwanted attention, gliding just above the forest's treetop.

He was in Beast mode and liking it much better than what it was before. He was still a pteranodon, but with some mods. He thought maybe he was supposed to look more realistic, but why he hadn't looked "realistic" before, already, was beyond him. He was mostly the same in look and color, but his wings were more slender in shape and more powerful. Rather than a weak, leafy flap, he had strong, effortless strokes and glided effortlessly on the wind. He was faster and could turn quickly, a flying scissor slicing the air. The other main change to this form was that his beak was the same color as his body, and was smooth. However, just on the inside of the beak were long rows of teensy, but very sharp teeth made to tear into prey. The beak was straight and lined up almost perfectly with his crest. He felt better balanced and the beast mode actually felt more comfortable. It made him more confident, feel less vulnerable, in this upgraded form. Technically, it wasn't that big of a difference, merely a feeling of 'better quality', like eating lobster after some crayfish. But to him the difference was vast, simply because he was quickly forgetting what his old body had been like.

They weren't really that far from the Maximal's cave now. They'd found evidence of hominid remains in the area and Rampage insisted that the small group was entering human territory. While they weren't exactly a threat, Terrorsaur was unwilling to mess with timelines and all that until he was sure what effect he'd want it to have on what and who and when. The ground looked cracked a while ago, as if from battle, and they'd found a two more battlegrounds in this forest too, from the Beast Wars. But the forest was just starting to get denser and Terrorsaur wasn't sure he wanted a base among the trees. For some reason, he liked the idea of cliffs…

"Hey! Uh, Boss," Quickstrike called from below, also in Beast Mode and in a slightly weakisg tone. It suddenly occurred to him while walking along and somehow actually thinking over things recently how he called whoever was in charge 'Boss' and wasn't sure he liked recycling it so much. It almost felt traitorous to hop from one leader to the next and adopt a term for them so readily … but what was he? A puppy with chicken wings? Noooo. He shook it off and continued, "Why didn't we stay behind and ambush 'em when they got to the cave?"

Terrorsaur blanched and circled around to hover over the group. He'd thought of that but hadn't noticed it as an option. He mentally slapped himself. That was exactly why Megatron could make such a fool of him before. Terrorsaur was often on the right track to power by sensing opportunities, but didn't see the _right _options unless they were shoved in his face.

"Uh, it's better to regroup somewhere first. Establish a place to fall back on if things go wrong."

Quickstrike went quiet a moment to ponder that over. Rampage was the next to speak, though his words didn't register quite as fast as the scorpion's.

"Incoming," the crustacean drawled, pointing a claw skyward.

Terrorsaur blinked sluggishly before looking up, a bit confused. He saw a greenish speck above and heard a distinct buzzing.

He narrowed his eyes….

And there was Waspinator, falling out of the sky at a good clip. Terrorsaur dodged at the last moment with a loud squawk and Waspinator whizzed past, head slamming into a tree. With a small '_squirk_!' he went limp.

Silence reigned for about 2 nanoclicks.

"Where did _he_ come from?" Tarantulas hissed crossly from atop a boulder. He'd never been fond of the bug. The Pits be opened and unleashed upon the world if Waspinator joined the group.

Rampage pointed upwards again.

"I know _THAT_!" Tarantulas shot. To be honest, he was slightly surprised at the bug's reappearance. Guess he'd just assumed Waspinator was either finally dead or taken by the Maximals too or something. He never really thought he'd survive. Hmph. He probably should have known better, considering the insect's penchant for pulling himself together after the most violent explosions somehow. . .

"I scanned him with the humans. Guess they threw him out," Rampage noted to Terrorsaur indifferently, the smaller mech in front of him transforming to robot mode.

"I ain't surprised," Quickstrike intoned seriously. "He's always been a little off in the head ther'. They musta grown tired of 'im."

"Waspinator? Are you functional?" Terrorsaur inquired, kicking the insect square in the aft. The bot yelped and pulled himself free.

"Wazpinator recognize voice… Terrorbot return! Pterodactyl-bot lives and comes to join Predacons again!?" the wasp exclaimed, looking happy for some reason.

"Kinda. I'm here to_ rule_ the Predacons. And since Megatron's not here, I can lead without him interfering!" the red flyer replied, smiling at noticing the other's surprise. "You wanna join under my leadership, Waspinator?"

The yellow jacket peered around at the assembly who were watching.

The crab blinked.

He jumped up fearfully.

"Crabbot dangerous! Crabbot destroy all without Megatron!" Waspinator yelled feverishly. He backed into a tree and flew up to a high branch, ready to blast off if necessary. Rampage scowled darkly and readied himself to shoot the nuisance. He was having fun with someone who didn't know what he was or where he was from. Slag it all if some little coward couldn't keep his mandibles shut. However, Terrorsaur had already heard the claim. He looked Rampage over and back up at Waspinator, who was unwilling to run, but equally reluctant to stick around.

"_Dangerous_, huh?" he repeated softly, optics narrowing. "Well… good thing! He'll be _useful!_ Besides, I'm leader. He can't kill anyone without consequences." Rampage smiled to himself, pleased. "We're trying to _win_ here. Come down and join us, Waspinator! With five of us against four, we can turn around right now and go beat the Maximals with numbers!"

"With one being the difference?" Rampage piped, head cocked.

"KYAHHHhhahahahha! _Waspinator _being that one!" Tarantulas cackled and Quickstrike let out a laugh too. Waspinator's wings drooped.

Terrorsaur smirked but told his fellow flyer, "Eh, ignore them. We have more important things to do right now!"

Waspinator nodded angrily. "Yesss! More important things than being stupid slobs to poor Wazpinator! Wazpinator better than _all_ Predacons _combined_! Wazpinator deserves _respect_ from fellow Predacons!"

"Better than all of us?" Quickstrike grinned, "You can't last two cycles on the field before ya get blown to smithereens!"

Waspinator's glare intensified.

"Wazpinator apparently the _only_ bot here_ not_ blown up when Beast Wars _end!"_ he exclaimed haughtily and the others stopped their chortling.

Except Rampage, who snorted. He was right after all.

Terrorsaur took his chance to intervene.

"Alright, alright! Stop your banter and get moving! We have to go back now and arrange an attack!" Terrorsaur said determinedly, transforming again and waving a wing.

The group turned, a couple grumbles from Tarantulas to accompany them, and they headed back the way they came. Not all were disappointed, however.

Rampage was contemplating the consequences of this… 'exercise' and how he could manipulate it in his favor. Depth Charge…. How would he respond to this coup? Rampage had made a deal with him, and this could strike a blow at their tenuous agreement. But what if he played the Shadow? What if he made this about teaching the ray a lesson rather than a fun little experi – activity he had decided to go along with? He'd thought of it before, one of the reasons he went along in the first place, but now he had to bother to mull it over. Depth Charge should be Leader, in his opinion. Perhaps this romp around the woods could be Depth Charge's last and only chance to obtain and defend a leadership position so as to maintain a sense of balance in the group? Dynamics-wise? If he didn't, the Predacons outnumbered the Maximals by count as well as thought. Collectively, the Predacons might steer whoever took leadership towards possible disaster without the respect a leader should have. Or split them up...

If the raybot didn't take leadership now, then what was there to stop anyone else from rising up tomorrow and trying for leadership? What was Depth Charge's word compared to anyone else's if he wasn't the top dog? Besides, there was no way Depth Charge was going to follow anyone else in the 'team.'

The crab snorted again.

Imagining any of the others as leader was just wrong. They lacked a sense of presence, in attitude and body. They weren't tall and powerful with a bad attitude and long stellar cycles of experience - not to mention a sheer clarity, and yet confusion and passion, of spark. No one else could sense it, but Depth Charge's spark was certainly unique. He'd always found it so…intriguing and easy to single out. Especially now.

Suddenly, something about having Depth Charge tethered to him in some mysterious way pleased him. He smirked nastily to himself.

Depth Charge's spark was his.

He'd said so before, even told Megatron, though he wasn't sure Megatron knew how much it meant to him, or _what_ it meant at all, or he'd surely use it against him. He knew back then that they were fated to fight to the death and he pulled Depth Charge along with him. He played his game and Depth Charge played with him. His playmate. His friend.

But now that was taken a step further. Now, the mech was actually tied to him. He STILL didn't exactly know how or why, but it was interesting. No, more than that. In a way, it was thrilling and pleasing to know that no matter what, Depth Charge would be with him. And always! Since Depth Charge could now heal as he could! The manta didn't want it that way, and for some odd reason, that made Rampage…sad…but whether he liked it didn't matter. He chuckled. Depth Charge was his now.

He scuttled along, the others moving quietly around him, save for the occasional brief argument when someone bumped into someone else or similar nonsense.

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**Author's Discussion: =3  
**

_Dear Primus, I am so sorry this came out so late. X_X RL kinda did me in. xD I had things to do and places to go. I also…well…I got stuck. -_-' I meant for this to be longer and include the battle, but it wasn't working, even after several rewrites. 9_9 So I cut it short and pasted it into the next chapter. XD _

_Hm, let's see, what to discuss. A couple things with notes attached…_

_I've read this chapter so many times, I have no idea what the quality this time around is. To me, it's almost "filler"-like, but it has important smallish events too. There's a lot of character interaction throughout it rather than events so, as usual, the action will happen next chapter. n_n Here we see Terrorsaur interact with Quickstrike for the first time. I'm not sure what their future relationship will be like, tbh, since I never meant for Quickstrike to come back. We'll just have to see. :3 _

_Waspinator is back now! :D I don't think he'll stick around for long. As cowardishlike as he is, he now know where he stands and he might stick by his word about not being bossed around anymore. :/ As such, he's a little finicky right now. _

_Some people might be wondering if I mean for Waspy and Terrorsaur to get together. I do not have plans for that to happen. I, so far, only mean for DC and Page to get together eventually, but if other things develop on the side, then I may have to go back and offer up more warnings in my first chapter. XD Those two seemed to get along well in the show, but I dunno about a romance or even how deep their 'friendship' goes. n_n Some input on this matter would help, since yall are reading it, lol. Ideas are formulating in my head, but knowing what you might like would help shape them. ___

_Inferno crashing into DC, lol, was a last minute addition. While the event is a little random and might seem unfunny, it could be symbolic that the Maximals take a fall before rising stronger or something. OR it's like back when DC means to help the Maximals but runs into SB and Rattrap and they all fall and fail the mission. T_T Not one of his shining moments. -_-' But it is reminiscent of that, mostly, to me. :D Noe he has the chance to make it right. Clingingto the fact that he saved someone's lie won't get him off the hook this time._

_We also see a little more about DC and Page's bond here too. DC is starting to more accurately read Rampage, though he has a long way to go. His forgetting about Rampage also signifies that for once he'd see the bigger picture first before his own agenda. :D On Rampage's end, I decided to expand on his feelings about Depth Charge. To him, I figure, Depth Charge has always been his. I remember in Feral Scream, Depth Charge is caught and Megatron says something about like destroying him or something, then Quickstriek pipes up and is like "Ohh! Let's scarp 'im boss!" or something and then Rampage (LOL HIS line I remember a little more clearly. XD ) is like, "No! His spark belongs to me! –something- MINE!" I thought he growled again at the end, but I was watching the episode again and after his line he says, "MINE!" I was quite pleased with this discovery. n_n He also monologues from afar to Cheetor in Deep Metal, saying, "This game isn't for you, kitty." OR something to that effect (Why can't I remember the lines right now? Probably my headache. -_-) and a few other instances like this. He's possessive of his only friend, you see. :3 _

_SOOO, I added his thoughts in to reinstate his possessive feelings towards him. Some might be thinking, Where is she going with this? _

_Well, I think this possessiveness would form the basis of his initial feelings for DC. The feelings have to start somewhere right? :33 And most likely, it's not DC. He's not the one without social restraints to hold him back from feeling things or whatever. BUT DON'T WORRY – I'm not going to just speed things up out of the blue. I want it to start meaningfully, something to happen that would act as the catalyst for either to start giving the other a chance. Neither is going to change so easy. _

_Oh! Also, we saw Quickstrike's more reasonable half, perhaps a streak of honor there we never saw? AKA..a little bit of Silverbolt? Their pods, afterall, scanned each other or shared data and blah, right? And Quickstrike, despite his lust or battle, seemed to get along with his fellow Fuzor decently, for what is was worth right? :D Hm…I wonder what I can do with that… lol! Not going OOC, of course, but something. Hmm…. And Rampage's interruption of the word "experiment" was on purpose, obviously. In the middle of writing that word, I caught myself and thought how ironic it was that Rampage hates Scientists, how I write him, and he likely doesn't want to be like them, but as intelligent and inquisitive as he is, he has to experiment to get answers, perhaps even torturing others to satisfy curiosity about something. . . I'm babbling but forgive me – head ache. I also hope you get my point cuz I'm running out of energy to elaborate, heh. _

_Well, I think that's all for now! 8D THANKS to all my reviewers and I hope to hear from all of you out there who don't review. It really does help drive a good story. :D I don't claim this to be excellent, but I think I'm doing a good job so far and would love to hear what I can do to keep it good. :D So drop me a line! :33 Thanks again! _

_Now to post this… Lol!_

_Til next time! :jumps into next chapter:_

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	10. Ep3 Rebel in Command, Part Three

**Disclaimer:** _I dun own Beast Wars, sorry. Heh._

**Author's Notes:** _Hello all! It's been a while, hasn't it? D: Sorry about that, but a lot of things got in the way and I couldn't pick up the inspiration again. I've also pretty much been absent from the internet PERIOD for a while for several school and non-school related reasons. Must be something about the Spring, though, cuz I'm back with an update for this fic. Told ya I didn't give it up! Believe me, it's been on my mind a long time, especially various scenes and dialogue meant for Terrorsaur, Tarantulas, and DC/Rampage moments. I wrote several versions of this chapter, but none actually resolved except this one. To be honest, I've no clue how good or bad it is except that I know I put effort into finally closing this 'episode' and starting the next one. _

_Overall, however, with the end of this epi, we close the Introduction Arc! :D Yayyy! Troops have been rallied, subplots have begun, upgrades are in the making, the enemy's been revealed etc. Now we can move on to the next phase: Gathering parts of the ship, char development, battle, character interaction, and even a filler stuff. x3 Also, be on the lookout for OCs. Don't worry, OCs aren't really made for longterm usage ( ;_; ) for those who don't like Beast Wars OCs (like me. In general. I just think OCs in BW are generally Mary Sues unless great care has been put into making them a aprt of the team and the fic isn't about just them in some way….A whole rant about that, I could type, but I won't. ._. Anywayyy…). That being said, there is ONE I may decide to incorporate into the team dynamic. :3 However, like I said, I've taken great care to ensure it's a part of the team. The fic will not change to focus solely on her and her exploits or whatever. Just FYI. _

_I'm not sure if my writing style's changed much in the last year, but this chapter, I made an effort to make thoughts and POV way less choppy. :/ Let me know if it works, I have no beta. xD _

_One more think – I think the chapter moves fast. Sorry about that. But maybe it's a normal pace. Dunno. :/ Trying hard not to over-explain every little thing._

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact **

**Rebel in Command, Part Three**

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Airazor shook her head, eyeing the cave in front of her. She was exasperated. The whole way back to their 'base' Depth Charge had worked himself up into a fuming rage. He was standing behind her and she could actually feel heat wafting from him as he growled from deep in his large chest. The sound was disturbingly predatory, but she was more concerned with something more important than a pouting mech.

"Well, they're not here," she stated, her silver wings slumping behind her. If anyone light blue and three times her height thought her observation was too overtly and annoyingly obvious, they kept quiet. She'd just tell 'them' to shove it, anyway. "So, what do we do?"

"Prepare. They'll be back," came the low, shudder inducing snarl from ten feet behind her. Airazor resisted asking how he knew they would come back. Considering Depth Charge's spark-related dilemma, she wasn't surprised. She could tell, for instance, that Tigatron was about to join them, so maybe the raybot could tell if his… _mate…_ was headed back, too. Indeed, the transmetal tiger slinked out from between two tall spires and gracefully joined the silver flyer at her side. He transformed, and Airazor turned to face the opposite horizon. As Tigatron confirmed he'd found no trace of the Predacons among the rock beds, she spotted Inferno marching alongside some roiling lava pools, seeming to pick stuff up. With a glance upwards, she found Depth Charge acknowledging her bonded's statement while staring intently in Inferno's direction. "The slag is he doing?" the blue mech muttered, anger put aside as confusion settled in.

Tigatron's optics zeroed in on the ant as well and blinked, "He's looking for scraps of the Predacon ship. The Preds' ship crash landed not far from here, and when it exploded due to Tigerhawk's arrival, some parts might have reached this area."

Airazor perked at the news, but Depth Charge's optics darkened as he nodded, "We'll need to sweep this entire area for spare parts, then." His tone was flat, but somehow the bird of prey got the impression he was unhappy finding parts would take so long and so much effort.

The mech was not one to wait around. Unlike those in the Beast Wars who'd been stranded on the planet for a couple years, Depth Charge had only been here a few weeks. He was still used to having things he needed on hand, available at some nearby space port, or somewhere trading was possible. Even when he'd arrived, the Maximals had had their supplies and Rhinox's expertise, as well as plenty of scrap already gathered. Now, they were stranded again with tiny pieces that had wedged themselves into crevices, been covered by sand, buried by wild animals, etc. The bird had long gotten used to using and saving resources, though. If she and all the Maximals could do it, then she was sure Depth Charge could too. Caught in the past, they had all the time in the world they'd need to collect everything, anyway. The task was daunting, yes, as well as the thought of staying here sharing subterranean chambers with crazy Preds, but they could do it.

They lapsed into silence. Airazor seated herself on a rock and tried to find a comfortable position. Tigatron circled the area in front of the cave, sniffing here or there, eventually coming around to sit near his mate. Depth Charge kept his gaze from the distant forest by glaring at the hard-working ant. Inferno noticed and straightened, snapping off a salute before resuming his duties with more efficient movement than the moment before, if that was possible.

Depth Charge cringed and looked away, attempting to glare the sun into submission. It was proving difficult…

"Depth Charge, I don't think that's good for your filters…" Airazor cautioned quietly, slightly amused.

The large bot shuttered his optics slowly, then deleted the burning green afterimage from his vision before the scarlet sensors lit up again. He had to blink once more as the sun burned into him, seeming to change shape as he looked at it. It seemed to fade, then expand. It flashed brighter, for real, startling him. The sight caught his fellow Maximals' attention as well.

It happened fast. The high pitched hiss of incoming cannon-fire had gone unnoticed in the nanosecond they were distracted, and both hit Depth Charge square in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

"_What!?"_ Airazor cried in horror, weapons powering up as she and Tigatron dove to avoid an onslaught of more missiles.

"Don't recognize your own trick,_ Airazor_?"

Time seemed to slow as she realized she knew that grating voice. A flashback hit her, and she remembered Rhinox, and Cheetor, the connection she felt to both of them as they saved her life when she'd first landed on Earth, and the resulting battle where she turned their cocky attacker into scrap metal. Anger burned in her spark and she rose to her feet, head whipping around to lock her bright optics on the smooth white smirking face of Terrorsaur.

"_You_!!" she sneered, her jet pack firing up. The red flyer made some smartly stupid remark, but she didn't listen, her glance finding Tigatron unharmed and attempting to revive Depth Charge, who looked very dazed - his chest was gaping open with twisted melted metal bits blooming from it, his spark exposed for the second time all too soon. Scowling and feeling the need to protect, she launched into the air. Terrorsaur rocketed upwards, but she followed, leaving the battleground in favor of the open skies.

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_Protoform X…_

…_burned until pronounced dead… _

…_X…_

…_found revived a megacycle later, confirming postulations regarding its…_

_...wake up…_

…_experiments finished. The next set will involve using acid to determine if similar effects can be manifested…_

_Depth Charge…_

…_because monsters don't exist…_

"Depth Charge!"

The world was fuzzy but the ex-Marshall couldn't deny that his spark was exposed to the world again, incredibly vulnerable, and he was in complete shock. He'd taken missiles to the chest before, with very different, superficial results. Tarantulas's upgrade was powerful, that was for sure, and this Terrorsaur was wielding it with the intention to conquer.

"Depth Charge! You must get to cover to recuperate! The Predacons are advancing!"

Faint memories tickled the edge of his mind, memories that weren't his. At first he'd though they were but they couldn't be. However, despite faint voices of the past whispering just beyond his hearing, he couldn't actually visualize any of the memories for him to analyze. As his mind cleared, the memories faded, leaving him with only bewilderment to replace them. What _was _that? What had happened?

An explosion rocked the ground beneath him and he was propelled back into the conscious world. He watched with awed optics as his chest sealed shut before him for the second time, light blue dancing over the wound as cables healed, and he rolled as a bright green bolt shot past his head, skimming his fin. He ducked behind a large boulder, bumping into Tigatron, who'd been the one calling his name.

"Are you functional?" the white transmetal asked with concern, ice blaster held high.

Depth Charge grimaced, then shook his head to clear it. "I was taken by surprise, but I'm fine. What's the field look like?"

Tigatron nodded once, then replied while firing a round into the fray. "Quickstrike and Waspinator ambushed Inferno while Airazor's fighting Terrorsaur above us. Rampage and Tarantulas…are no where in sight, but I can smell them on the wind. You and I are here, offering Inferno cover fire, although…" The tiger stopped firing to peer closer at the situation; Inferno now had Quickstrike by the stinger and was beating Waspinator over the head with him. "It seems our ally has it under control, now."

The blue and violet Maximal snorted humorlessly, "Then X and Tarantulas are our main concern now."

"Hardly a _concern_, old friend," the unmistakable rumble of Rampage's voice reached them, and both Maximals froze before turning towards the cave entrance, where the crab stood proudly.

"X…" a warning growl from Depth Charge didn't faze the massive crab, who transformed. The action only caused the blue bot to straighten and train both of his remoras on him.

"Depth Charge, I'm not here to fight," Rampage soothed, hands open and raised as a gesture of peace.

"_That's_ a load of - !!"

"I haven't attacked yet, have I? And Tarantulas is right here." The bot moved slightly to reveal the spider clinging to his back, a data pad clutched in its mismatched jaws. The crabbot looked far from pleased that it was there.

"_Don't shoot_! It was an experiment!" the tarantula explained with a tired wheeze as the two prepared to fire in retaliation to some expected underhanded trick. Keeping up with a tank on uneven legs had been very difficult. He continued in an exhausted rush, "Terrorsaur was upgraded and I've been observing his behavior and adjustment to his new form _before upgrading anyone else_!"

Tigatron and Depth Charge exchanged cautious looks and another explosion sounded off, this time shattering the air and making audios twitch.

The ex-Marshall looked too busy glaring to speak, but he managed to rain invisible fiery daggers upon his nemesis at the same time that he willed himself to grunt, "So, given this is true, then Terrorsaur is attacking completely on his own terms and he only coerced Waspinator and Quickstrike to join his cause for real."

"It is not unlikely – Waspinator is just as selfish and power hungry as the next Predacon, and Quickstrike is violent. They may have attacked with merely a command from Terrorsaur and a promise to reap rewards the Predacon has no intention of giving them," Tigatron opined softly. "And from what I saw, they've done _very_ little damage."

As if on cue, a pillar of fire blasted into view just over a ridge to the left of the congregation, accompanied by a manic yell, a pair of wasp wings, and a gold cobra head.

Depth Charge's gaze returned to X, and, very slowly, relaxed. With a shrug, Rampage dislodged Tarantulas, who landed with a thud on the hard earth before standing and transforming, looking pained.

"Fine..." the fishbot purred angrily, seeming to force himself to relax and rethink the situation, although he, and Tigatron, still doubted their words based on experience. "Fine."

With the tense moment passed, Tigatron's optics shot to the sky, searching. "So, the real antagonist is a revived and more powerful Terrorsaur. How powerful is he? How dangerous?"

"He nearly blasted my spark chamber clear out my chest," Depth Charge grumbled moodily. Rampage visibly flinched but recovered quickly, causing the blue mech to pause thoughtfully before continuing, regardless. "Considering my build and the extremely sturdy, _reinforced_, structure of my frame, that's no mean feat. What else can he _do_, Tarantulas?" He ignored the tiger's wide, worried optics.

The spider tilted his head, his optic band widening under scrutiny. "That's what I'm figuring out!" he replied, incredulous. "If I already _knew_, I wouldn't have gone along with his plan to destroy you just to find out."

Tigatron's optics narrowed. The way he said it so _casually_… "So, the only way to stop him is…?"

"Simple."

Piercing green optics found ruby, and Rampage continued, "Conquer. Assert your dominance. You don't have to _kill_ him, just show him who's bigger. Stronger. Smarter…" He smirked, seeming to resist a triumphant chuckle. "Show him who's _Leader_."

Depth Charge cringed while the other two nodded sagely, Tarantulas grinning like he was laughing at some dirty joke. He rumbled in his chest loudly, searching the skies. He followed X's gaze, which was already trained on the two fighting flyers, southward. His optics darkened and his head dropped in thought. The manta sighed heavily, throwing another hateful glare at Protoform X. Eventually, he conceded.

"Alright. Here I go."

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Wind rushed in her audios deafeningly as she fell, Terrorsaur right on her claw-like heels. Airazor spun, catching hold of one of the other flyer's glossy red wings, and yanked. He screeched curses, pulling up, and, once again, they climbed into the sky locked in a deadly embrace.

Airazor was putting up a valiant fight, but it was nothing like their battles in the Beast Wars. Back then, they'd been fairly equal flyers, with Airazor being more delicate and Terrorsaur being less agile. Now, the fight was almost unfair. The upgrade had done something phenomenal for his flying abilities. He was faster, taller, more streamlined. His wings spread proudly behind him, his shoulder cannons were bigger, his hands were elegant and tipped with claws, like hers were. His optics looked a bit more like eyes, pale mechanical orbs with piercing yellow optics built into the front, framed by narrow shutters. Overall, he was built for speed. And he was handsome… but she wasn't thinking about that.

One set of his claws raked her face, the other grasping her left wing in a painful twist. Meanwhile, she was reaching for a gun to take out one of his wingjoints. He wasn't really using them in robot mode, but it would hurt a _lot_. For a second, her vision wavered, she felt vertigo, and then she was free. What happened? He let her go?

"What's wrong, Airazor?" came his mocking voice. He'd let her go on purpose, the slagger. Was he really that confident? "It's not so easy this time, is it? Hehehe."

She felt pain shoot through her arm – he'd shot right through it and it fell limp to her side. Interesting, it was the arm she was grabbing his wing with. Petty retaliation, feh, but she'd need to get away to recuperate a bit. He was fast alright, but no way he could catch her in a dive. Her name wasn't Airazor for nothing.

Twice now, over the course of the battle, she'd gone into a dive to allow herself a reprieve and thinking time, so for the third time, she turned tail and dropped back to the Earth. Her silver wings cut the air, emitting a piercing whistle that wouldn't have manifested had she still had organic-like feathers. The air around her seemed to split and she fell faster. She could hear a frustrated squawk behind her and her scanners indicated he'd fallen behind. Now, she could think – the battle below seemed to have died down, so she'd draw him back towards the others. Then she could take him on with the others watching her back.

She pulled up a hundred feet from the ground, just south of the quiet battlefield, and turned. She primed her arm cannons and waited, peering up into the clouds.

"Ha! You can't escape, Maximal! I'll destroy you, then go after your friends!" the red menace cackled as he neared. She braced herself and fired a few rounds, noticing that he dodged them easily. A few more and three hit him, but he still came barreling towards her. Her dental plates grinded against each other. Fifty yards. Forty yards. Thirty yards…he was still grinning, his superior abilities causing his ego to inflate dangerously.

Ten yards and he was just too close. He didn't look like he was going to slow down. How would she recover from impact? Maybe waiting for him was a bad idea.

Five yards and red became light blue and a manic laugh turned into a pained yelp. Disoriented from the sudden change, Airazor blinked and stared at nothingness before finally catching sight of Depth Charge tumbling towards dirt with Terrorsaur plastered across his front as if he'd been run over. The two hit the ground at full velocity, dust and rock kicking up and clouding the scene for a moment. Noticing the others moving towards their location, the silver bird quickly landed beside Tigatron, mind still reeling.

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Terrorsaur had to be honest. He'd been in worse shape, worse pain. But the suddenness of the impact had left him with little birds flying around his head and a very, _very_ sore body.

He lay sprawled in rock that smelled like sulfur, the bright sky stretching above him, and a cloud of dust slowly clearing from view. He heard footsteps around him, and a couple voices, but nothing distinct. Realizing defeat could be close at hand, he struggled to stand, but ended up flopping around, equilibrium temporarily shot. He rebooted a few programs and ran a diagnostic.

However, before he could recover completely, a shadow obstructed his vision, and a large silver hand grasped his shoulder, lifting him high into the air.

"Ack!" he cried. "Hey!"

Fiery optics stared into him, the head they were attached to much larger than his own. This mech was big, bigger than he remembered Megatron to be, and he looked angry.

"Listen up, ya little_ punk_!" the bot growled in his face. "There's no such thing as the 'Beast Wars' anymore. There are no 'Predacons and Maximals'. There is no Megatron or Optimus Primal. And there is no slaggin' little upstart that's gonna ruin our operation." The flyer's head spun and he lost focus. "I – Right now, there's me, my fist, and your face, so you better be listening. Are you _paying attention_?"

Terrorsaur, thoroughly terrified, nodded quickly. This was happening so fast! He'd been so ready to rush in and grab what was rightfully (sort of) his! He glanced sideways to find Rampage and Tarantulas completely operational, not a scratch on them. Slag them. They hadn't even joined the battle! Quickstrike and Waspinator looked worse for wear, but they were idiots. Had the others planned something behind his back? _Mutiny_! And he wasn't even leader yet!

The big bot shook him violently and he screeched in panic.

"I'm listening!! I'm listening!"

"Good. Now hear this: _I _am leader. This is _my_ group. You will follow _my_ orders and you will cooperate with the team. The _entire_ team," he added, as the pterosaur's gaze eyed the Maximals. "Is that understood?"

Terrorsaur paused, a tiny part of him noticing that the larger mech's …attitude… and body language didn't seem to indicate him really _wanting_ to be leader, but he was doing it for some other mysterious reason. Interesting. And important enough that Terrorsaur almost smiled – if this guy really didn't want to be leader, then he'd have another opportunity to rise to the top at a later time. He'd just have to keep an optic out for weakness, insecurity, vulnerability. Even with that comfort, this wasn't the time to plot, it was time to fear and disappear. He nodded obediently, "Understood, ah… _sir_!"

The mech, who must be Depth Charge, glared at him for what felt like a megacycle, calculating, thinking, measuring him up. Eventually, the silver hand gently set him down on the ground, where the Predacon flyer collapsed slowly from shock. He couldn't help but notice a couple smiling faces in the crowd that had gathered and he willed them to go away, scowling outwardly and checking his new wings for damage.

Depth Charge turned his attention to Quickstrike, then, and Waspinator, both of whom cowered under his cold scrutiny. The bot didn't have a very expressive face model, his expressions having to be read through his entire body, but he seemed almost calm, while optics blazed in a neutral expression. It was piercing, the two small Predacons quivering as if the ray was about to stick them with needles to a dissection board. But the dissection was already happening in the manta's head, something Terrorsaur recognized; he was stripping them down to their basic skills, stats, weapons, talents; their ability to be loyal vs. their screwed up programming. They didn't know that, though, hence the squirming.

"T-T-That flyin' varmint put us up to it, Boss!" Quickstrike stammered, somehow feeling the need to explain himself. "I just wanted a little adventure 'round here, kick some keister - "

"Waspinator mean no harm! Waspinator tricked into fight! War is over for Waspinator!" the wasp took immediately to groveling, where the other was just spilling and pointing digits. He shook his tiny, injured head, bowing slightly in his fear.

" – tired of collectin' scrap when we ain't gettin' no where fast! But it won't happen again, Boss, 'specially with the traitor in_ our_ ranks!"

" - Terrorbot needs to learn his boundaries. Waspinator will fight _no more_!"

Terrorsaur doubted the manta ray was listening. That was the empty, spearing stare really bad aft cops gave a criminal and the criminal broke down to blubber his confessions in a spark beat. It was working well, but the thing about that gaze wasn't that they were glaring the opposition to submission, they were merely thinking to themselves about the opposition and what to do about them – a cold, lifeless _Look_. The fact the criminal couldn't decipher what someone in a position of authority was thinking about caused them to panic. At least, that's what it always seemed like to Terrorsaur, who'd found himself on the receiving end several times in his life. He found himself able to understand, and appreciate it, objectively, while still falling prey to that same Look if it was turned his way. He hated that Look for just that reason. And Depth Charge was _good_ at it.

However, the Look softened as their Maximal … _Maximal_, Terrorsaur cared to note for a second time with vehemence, leader turned to Airazor to assess her damage. Something in the air seemed to click and suddenly orders were being dished out.

"Tarantulas, get Airazor, Quickstrike, and Waspinator to the RC. When you're finished, get the computer parts inside. Tigatron, follow and help out. Make sure the resident spider is true to his word. Inferno…" The ant had a couple burns, but otherwise was completely fine and as enthusiastic as ever. Terrorsaur huffed, puzzled at the salute the ant gave Depth Charge. "You're with me. We'll scout the perimeter and take note of any ship parts we might find. If anything is of particular importance, we'll be bringing it back… X," the giant crabbot had been eyeing the red flyer from the beginning and Terrorsaur wondered why, now that he wasn't solely focused on his power trip. "Take Terrorsaur inside. Keep an optic on him."

The crab nodded and moved forward, but Terrorsaur struggled to his feet before the giant could drag him off. He was unexpectedly tired. His spark was still recovering from extreme stress, he hadn't refueled as much as he should have for the stunt he pulled, and his systems were egging him on towards recharge. He hadn't thought he was pushing himself, and maybe he wasn't, but now it seemed he was quickly spiraling back into deactivation.

With a start, he realized he didn't want that and he was afraid of recharge, lest he never wake up again. Even so, he was shutting down and not even some food or energon would keep him up. He had no choice. He'd have to settle for conquering the Maximals at another time, if he woke up. In fact…maybe he hadn't woken up at all. Maybe this was all another weird dream, one among many as he half-lived in his magma prison…Dazed and despondent in defeat, the pterosaur transformed back to beast mode, and followed Rampage back into the cave at a sleepy trot.

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Night was falling and it was Depth Charge who stood watching the sun set. His optics looked through it, mostly, but some part of him, very deep down, admired the beauty of the planet at this moment, its reds, oranges, purples… The rest of him was far, far away, thinking about nothing and everything. He'd been out in front of the cave for a long time, a few megacycles, and by now his guard was down and his state was cool and unpersonal. It would have been peaceful, if not for the occasional reminder that he was stranded on the planet, Earth, with others he had to command, leading them into battle and directing the construction of at least a satellite...

In the darkness of the cave entrance, two pairs of green optics watched him, one studying their new leader with knowing and pride, the other observing all that Depth Charge was at that moment and basking in it, enjoying it a bit too much.

Lacking the stealth his more organic body gave him, Tigatron padded up to the tall bot as quietly as he could. He studied the form a moment longer, noticing cracks in the manta's normally formidable posture. The battle earlier wasn't as spectacular as most of them had thought it would be, considering half of Terrorsaur's team wasn't really interested in insurrection and the other half was stupid. Other than that, and a few Vok scares, times had been pretty quiet lately. The raybot's sloping back, drooping fins, lowered head, and slanted stance, then, indicated fatigue that came from more than a single battle.

"When was the last time you recharged?" he inquired so softly the wind might not have heard him.

Just like that, the cracks were gone. The back straightened, the fists clenched, the optics flicked to full power, and the fins froze back into place. "What?" Depth Charge snapped.

Kindly, it was repeated, "When was the last time - "

"I don't know. Three weeks. Maybe four."

A sigh, "I see."

"Cybertronians used to go for months without recharge. We can't do that anymore, but we still don't need to recharge every night like organics do, contrary to popular _human-influenced_ belief as long as you make sure to conserve power right." The mech spoke quietly, but with a sense of scorn that made Tigatron wonder if Depth Charge knew much about their ancient organic allies, or history in general. However, there was a stagnation in the tone that was faltering – the bot knew he couldn't stay up forever and it was unwise to try. "…Four weeks is reaching my limit, but there's no way I'm recharging with five Predacons and a monster in the same cave. I think you and Airazor – "

"I think we'll be fine," the tiger interrupted smoothly, with conviction that earned a warning look from his superior. "Only one of them is truly dangerous, and the 'monster' you speak of has made his choice. They should all know we need each other to leave the planet. And even after we leave, we'll still need each other to ensure safe passage to a way station somewhere, if not Cybertron itself." He paused, noting the manta's stubborn look. "I do not mean to imply we should give them lee way. I think they should be monitored, but… we'll need to afford them a place on the team, not in a brig."

Depth Charge was silent a long moment before switching the topic, "Is Airazor alright?"

"Yes." The white transmetal sounded relieved. "Tarantulas repaired her in a timely and even, almost, caring fashion. He's acting a bit… friendly, but he seems to know the importance of our team's well being." His eyes narrowed and his ears flattened in thought. "I don't trust him. He may be planning something, but, for now, whatever it is, we're safe from his intentions."

The ray nodded.

"Waspinator and Quickstrike are also repaired and are now recharging. Inferno is exploring and guarding the lair's tunnels; he's practically tireless. I thought the spider's traps might put him in danger, but so far, he's had no trouble disabling them. A bit surprising, all things considered."

Another nod.

"And Rampage has taken to observing you."

This time the nod turned into a spin, but the lair's entrance was empty. The quadruped sighed and shook his head.

"Again, he's made his choice. Depth Charge, get some rest," Tigatron suggested with genuine concern. The pale bot stood on his four legs and glided back towards the cave. Before he disappeared into the darkness, he added, "You're not the only one keeping watch."

A frustrated, troubled sigh followed him into the tunnels.

* * *

**Ending Notes**:

* * *

…..Yes, the planned OC is a 'her.' I hate Airazor being the only one and there is no Blackarachnia. However, she is an entity made to be a part of this story specifically and doesn't exist elsewhere, just Deep Impact in an attempt to keep its Beast Warsishness.

**End of Intro Arc!** :D On to the next! :D

Comments and critique is always welcome! :3 Especially with an update a year later, lol! Again, sorry about that. n_n


	11. Ep4 Bad Dreams, Part One

**Disclaimer:** _I. Do. Not. Own. Beast. Wars. ;_;_

**Author's Notes:**

_Youngling: A new Transformer. _

_When a spark is created the new spark could be at various stages of maturation depending on the method used to make it. (Since Vector Sigma was contaminated and made biased in the first Great War, other methods of reproducing became more commonplace through the centuries, with Predacons and Maximals having different preferred methods.) A tiny bud of a spark, called a nucleus, cannot survive on its own, but if a nucleus reaches a specific girth for its Type (Seeker, etc. Determined by special instruments.) it is considered mature enough to be put into its own body, matched to its Type, and brought online. Healthy, viable sparks are placed in a bare prototype frame measured to just below adult size and built with full sized processors and spark chamber. Further upgrades are possible throughout a Cybertronian's life, tailoring their body to fit new skills, training, preferences, or enhancing basic programming and functions. _

_Younglings are usually fully functional, if very youthful in spirit, but a small percentage of Cybertronians, mostly Maximals, like to have their creations experience a stage of childhood similar to organic species' children. These little beings are basically vessels for premature sparks to grow in before moving to a youngling frame. They are often called Sparklings. Sparklings are famous because of their renowned cuteness in Maximal society, but because of their incredible vulnerability, lack of self sufficiency, weird structural proportions, and the sometimes illegal use of medical equipment to remove a developing nucleus before it's ready in order to have a Sparkling, they are rare, controversial, considered ugly by some bots, illegal in some provinces, and, it is important to note, most Predacons wouldn't be caught dead building one for its offspring._

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact **

**Bad Dreams, Part One**

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Swirling thunder clouds and flashing lightning was probably cliché, but for the Vok it provided plenty of electromagnetic energy to draw from as they prepared for the arrival of another member of their species. Two figures flew in through the storm, landing near a circular platform surrounded by four perfectly cut pillars. At the center of the circle was larger glyph encircled by much smaller glyphs, all of which changed shape at precise, but unknown intervals. As they neared, the small monument began to glow and a beam of blue light ascended into the sky. The ground shook violently, but didn't crack. As the light died down, the two figures walked closer, one stout, one tall and lithe.

Between the two lay an empty stasis pod. It held neither a spark nor a protoform, but it did contain a dead body and its computers held the blueprint to the dead bot's programming and physical frame, essential to remote operation by a new occupant.

More lightning and another pillar of light appeared, this time descending towards the altar-like monument and carrying a ball of alien metal. With care, both figures placed the pod in the center of the circle and moved away. The ball slowly melted into the empty container and, together, they warped and contorted to create a new shape. The windy forest around the figures grew dark again and only the gente rolling of the clouds filled the air until the sounds of shifting metal broke the stillness. Quiet as the whispering trees, the cicada and locust departed into the cloudy skies, leaving echoes of wing beats in their place.

A moment later, the distinctly oval shaped back of a shiny brown cockroach skittered over forest leaves and slithered into the rich underbrush.

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_Ever since the Autobots had left Earth, hospitals and science facilities turned from bright orange and white to only white, with bright artificial light flooding the optic sensors of every patient admitted into a doctor's care. That was the environment Depth Charge grew up in, visiting infirmaries over the years to get repaired or upgraded, finding himself blinded the moment he lay himself down under a medbot's reassuring guardianship. But this wasn't like that. _

_The hallways here were silver and every edge was distinct. Everything was polished and neat, and the lights, while bright white, had some kind of filter on them that didn't cause his optics to dim instinctually. It didn't hurt to look around and the wide open spaces looked comfortable to move in, unlike the average bot's corridors. He was a large bot, always had been, and architects seemed to forget that big mechs still existed when they designed buildings to accommodate their fellow Cybertronians. The place looked nice and seeing doctors walk around looking important and focused made him curious what was so interesting. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that what was interesting, was him…_

_As he was wheeled into a large circular room and several assistants came to prepare him for some operation, things suddenly sharpened into focus and he felt more real, more alive, more present. It was as if he'd been in a half sleep and only now woke up fully. He knew he was dreaming. But this felt so real! Why did he feel so scared? It was almost unbearable how afraid he was. He knew for a fact he'd never been this scared before. And nothing had even happened yet! Was this some repressed memory? It was hard to wonder objectively when his spark was racing._

_The assistants left and the doors closed, leaving behind only one doctor who was hovering near the door, minding his own business. The bot took his time, eventually wandering close to him, mumbling softly into a black data pad he held in his hand. His digits were sharp, like knives, and the sight made him shiver. Depth Charge was sure he'd never seen that doctor before, but he felt like he knew him. Visions flashed across his mind's eye of those claws digging themselves into his circuits, testing every one for sensitivity and their effect on his spark. Everything was about his spark. Everything here was done to see if they could destroy him. He knew this, and yet there was nothing he could do about it. _

_The doctor put the black thing down, and turned, picking something up from the table behind him. Depth Charge started to struggle, trying to move his legs and arms. He needed to get away, NOW. Somewhere in his mind, knew what that was. He knew what it meant. The thing was long and silvery, with little arms, like an insect. The doctor brought it closer and placed it into his mouth, forcing it in, and, once inside, it slid down his oral cavity like a metallic worm. Something clicked audibly and he realized it had clamped around his vocaliser. His body continued to struggle, operating on a whole other wavelength than his confused mind. The doctor only looked slightly annoyed, as if he'd dealt with this before and he didn't understand why he couldn't just keep still. He tried to yell, but he knew it was useless – the worm was a gag. He'd make no sound until the other bot took it out. Why did he need a gag?_

_Visitors. He could sense them, pinpricks of light and feeling in his mind, far away on some other floor above him. They were unfamiliar. Students, the doctor said, and prospective employees, taking a tour of the facilities. Can't scare them away with your usual racket, can we? _

_The doctor reached up and a massive mirror swung into place above the berth. Depth Charge could see himself and he nearly choked – above him lie a twisted but functional Cybertronian body, a mere protoform with barely any dermal armor. It was obviously a youngling's build, a tall; lean body that the maturing spark inside would one day upgrade into a large frame, like his own. The model had an unusually large head, almost ugly to look at, with optics of bright white that were dwarfed by the size of his cranial plates. The youngling was strapped to the table with state of the art bonds, and Depth Charge just could not remember this ever happening to him. That couldn't be him. His creator had built him himself and the ray had never looked like that._

_The doctor waved his sharp fingers over the youngling's chest and it opened without resistance. The raybot knew this wasn't normal, but none of this dream represented anything normal, did it? He watched as the large, elaborate spark chamber opened to reveal a tiny spark, tiny in comparison to the large body, and he knew it was new. Very new, and premature. Almost a nucleus, with little corona of spark matter gathered around it. This wasn't a normal spark at all; a miniscule spark like that should have died stuck in a body this big. There were bots smaller than Rattrap out there that started out that small, but not … whoever this was, with the big head and too much processor power at such a young age stuffed behind its wide optics._

_The doctor muttered more somethings into his black data pad, as if oblivious to anything and everything Depth Charge did except to gauge his reaction to this or that. Then the claws dipped towards his little spark, the orb looking like a strobe light it was so panicked. The sharp edges closed in around it, almost touching, and he could feel the cold steel at his very core. Stop! No!_

_Beginning Test A-42, Week 4, Time: 5.17.36_

Depth Charge sat up straight, yelling, and stared right into the burning remnants of Omicron, the buildings lopsided and fires glowing from the streets, casting shadows along the tall peaks of the skyline. The scene wrenched at his spark in a way he hadn't felt in a very long time and he was bewildered why he was witnessing his burning home again. It already happened, he couldn't be living it again! Was this another dream?

The silver light of dawn registered and he sighed in relief, spark racing, realizing the burning buildings were actually mountainous spires of rock that hovered over the lava pools. The sun was rising, illuminating the landscape and helping to drown out the feelings of dread, pain, and fear that still lingered in his mind. He was now full awake, even though fatigue pulled at him, and he managed to get to his feet. The last time he'd recharged was when he'd woken up underwater, before he knew about…His hand alighted on his chest plate and he winced.

He checked his chronometer – he'd been in recharge approximately fifteen cycles. Long enough to have one of the most disturbing dreams of his life, but nowhere near rested. He sighed again, willing his panicking spark to slow. That dream…Something about that dream… His optics narrowed as he was overcome with grief for the youngling, and his fist tightened in anger.

The sound of rocks falling caught his attention and his head snapped up in time to see crab legs disappear over a ridge.

Seething, he stared after them, his emotions doing a flip flop. This was Rampage's doing. The bot was somehow using their bond to start playing new mind games. He couldn't let this happen. There was no way X was getting into his mind and using such imagery to manipulate him! Sick,_ twisted,_ walking heap of scrap _creep_! He knew no bounds, did he? Dangling Depth Charge in front of some youngling to watch its spark flutter helplessly as it encountered a terrible torture and death that no one deserved. No one but X. Only Protoform X deserved to be killed like that. He'd seen pieces of the mech's past before, little flashes in Tarantulas's lab or double memories that surfaced when he thought of Megatron, but those had stopped because he found a way to will them into silence. He already decided he couldn't afford understand his enemy in any degree, so those memories meant nothing to him. As far as he was concerned, the bot was a criminal, an evil, a monster, and everything that happened to him, he probably had it coming. And now this? It was unacceptable and only helped solidify his resolve about that particular decision.

He paced in front of the cave before storming down the tunnels to attempt recharge where the crab wasn't likely hiding behind any given crevice he looked. With the greatest effort he could muster, he blocked their bond to the point that he couldn't even feel it anymore and focused on keeping it that way.

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"But _solo_? Tigatron!" Airazor's hushed voice argued with disbelief. "You saw what they can do. They had us up there in the _Nexus for Spark's sake_!"

Tigatron was quieter, but just as urgent. "Airazor. I'll be alright. You _know_ me, I_ prefer_ to work alone." His mate shuttered her optics and looked away. "I am a skilled hunter. I can find them, scout their position, and call for backup should I need it. They won't know I'm there."

It had been four megacycles since Depth Charge had shouted everyone awake and kicked them all into gear for the new day, looking really grumpy. There was plenty of grousing and protesting, but one look at the ray's face and no one bothered to say anything. She and Tigatron had eventually moved outside, and had been disagreeing for almost two megacycles. They sat next to each other on a low rock, just outside the cave's entrance, heads bowed as they did their best to keep their conversation to themselves.

"How can you know that? We don't know if their bodies work the same way we do, Vok or not!"

"I trust my instincts, Airazor. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, and what will happen, will happen. But I am certain I can find them and track them. This isn't for my sake, Airazor, it's for all of us. I would not trust such a mission with anyone else, I _know_ my capabilities."

Airazor looked ready to explode from exasperation (and "Like I don't have instincts, too? You can't trust _them_?" ), but she held it together.

"Airazor. Tigerhawk was taken by surprise and he had two Vok in control of his body. Whatever their capabilities are, we are still able to at least stake out their position undetected. And if we know where they are, we may be able to find out what they're doing, what they're planning. …There is also the chance I might find more pods."

Airazor growled, not sure what to do with herself as regret and sadness swooped in upon her spark on top of the anger and insecurity. "So many pods. How could we lose so many?"

"I don't know. There may have been far more in orbit than we thought and some fell without warning before recovering our ability to track them after the crash."

"I suppose…But Tigatron, don't go looking for the pods. Rampage already said he'd help us find the rest."

"You believe him?" the striped one questioned with a slight snarl in his voice. Just _when_ was the crab going to lead them to their comrades?

"What choice do we have? We can't possibly track down every leftover pod with spark memories…"

Tigatron frowned.

And Airazor sighed. She knew there was no changing Tigatron's mind. Pushing it would only make Tigatron more adamant this needed to be done. Some vindictive part of her thought he was only volunteering for this self proclaimed 'necessary mission' in order to go out and be alone for a while, but she couldn't really think that. He loved to be with her, to be together, it was just…he loved to be with nature more…

She nearly slapped herself. She shouldn't think that. Yes, he thought he was part tiger for real, and yearned to be organic on some level, but he loved her more than anything. He'd come back to her, and, should something happen, he'd find his way home, and she'd do the same. She trusted him, so it would be okay. He could handle himself and he was right, he was excellent at stealth missions and very resourceful. She and everyone else would be on standby at all times. She nodded resolutely, "Okay. Okay… Maybe while you scout, we'll go hunting for the pods. We'll just have to put it by Depth Charge first." She looked at him with determination. "You _will_ come back to me."

"I will _always_ return to you, my lady."

The two shared a smile despite their differing feelings about the situation and their hands found each others' as their disagreement ended, both relaxing and enjoying each others' presence. They held tight, their digits wrapped together, for what seemed like cycles.

"I'm **ALIVE!"**

Their heads whipped to face the streak of red that had just bounded past their bubble of privacy, popping it in the process. Terrorsaur transformed to robot mode and faced the high sun daringly. Loudly, he proclaimed, "I _liiive_!"

Waspinator and Quickstrike were right on his tail, shouting, caterwauling, and bouncing around in beast mode.

"Mweee heehee!" the wasp cheered, spinning like a chopper losing control.

Quickstrike finished a whoop before pausing in his dance, "'Ey, what are we celebratin' again?"

"It's Terrorbot's _birthday_!" the wasp squealed, waving his spindly legs around.

"_Almost_, Waspinator!" Terrorsaur corrected, turning around to show a triumphant smirk to his comrades. He gesticulated as he continued. "Not ten megacycles ago I was resurrected from the fiery tomb I was buried in, _reborn_ on this miserable _planet_! Ha!" He looked back towards the lava pools. "I thought it was another stupid dream, but this is _real_. I'm back, and _better than ever_!" His shoulder cannons unfolded and fired into the sky.

Waspinator and Quickstrike exchanged glances and backed away a few steps.

"Will Smugbot try to fight scary fishbot again?" came a quiet inquiry, and Terrorsaur deflated.

"Ah, no! No, not yet …"

His companions seemed to relax a bit, and the wasp giggled.

"Glad to see you're feeling as_ audacious _as ever," Airazor's low voice noted coldly, the moment ruined.

"Ahh, Airazor. And the other one," the cocky flyer greeted. "Good to see you Maximals sitting around, taking up valuable space in this universe. Having a nice chat?"

Airazor opened her mouth to retort, "Yes, actually, until you came along and destroyed it."

"Aww, poor birdy ain't_ gettin'_ any this morning."

Airazor squeaked in indignation and rushed forward, only to be grabbed by Tigatron. "No, Airazor. They are allies, not enemies."

She only growled in response. She'd wipe that high falutin grin off that face _so fast_…

"Now, now, _ess-ays_," Quickstrike's twang cut in. "Ya can't get yer cables in a knot before noon…without a _draw_!" He transformed and aimed his snake's head around.

"Put that away, Predacon, this is not the place or time for battle." Tigatron stepped forward, his tone sharp with warning.

Quickstrike glared but faltered, slumping a bit. Once more, he started whining, "Ain't never no action 'round here. Let the lady go and let's see us a proper tussle!"

Airazor looked ready to go, as did Terrorsaur, but the tiger kept a firm grip on the fembot's arm. Luckily, or possibly unluckily, Tarantulas decided to emerge from under a rock in a rather graceless fashion. Yet another secret tunnel…

"Well, that does it," he announced, pulling his large abdomen out of the ground and settling on his belly on the dark earth.

"What?" a chorus of voices wondered in various stages of agitation.

"The upgrades have been approved."

"Yayyy! Waspinator will have killer robot body, _too_!" Waspinator exclaimed, launching into a hover with a flutter of his wings.

"There ain't a reason to _use_ it, though…" the scorpion mumbled and his snake's head nodded in agreement.

Tarantulas sighed, "There's just one problem: _Terrorsaur _refueled using up most of the reserves I had in storage before his little escapade. We'll need to find more."

Silence.

"_By the Matrix_, Terrorsaur!" Airazor roared, silver wings twitching madly.

"_What!_ How is that _my_ fault! I needed to refuel!"

"To do what? All you did was blow stuff up! You didn't even have a plan beyond that, did you? What were you planning to do if you did get leadership, Terrorsaur? Use up the rest of it for yourself and then leave the rest of us to scrounge and the computers and Regen tank to deactivate? Did you check the levels of the dispenser before you gorged yourself? Do you even _think_ ahead or is your processor directly wired to your aft?" she lashed out loudly, standing to the very tips of her pedis and her hands making their way to her hips in her enthusiasm.

Quickstrike whistled appreciatively at the outburst, but her questions were only answered with a nasty snarl that came directly from the 65 million year old beast mode residing in the crimson bot's data banks. She would have found it alarming if not for the exasperation that came from pent up anxiety and worry over her mate. She attempted to cool it, realizing her fit was just that – worry and stress that only mounted when Tigatron said he'd leave. The thought made her back down.

The falcon's bonded lay a white hand on her other shoulder, squeezing gently. In his spark he sent her _calmness_ and felt her tense wings relax. "Terrorsaur. Like I said. This is no time to fight."

"Agreed."

Tarantulas started with a 'yipe!', as did everyone else. It was Depth Charge, back from a long walk securing the perimeter. He looked as grumpy as he had this morning, but much more exhausted if the slump in his posture was any indication. He continued as if he hadn't scared the crude oil out of every bot present, "There's a place I've seen northwest that's constantly got energon storms around it. I'm willing to bet we'll find enough energon there to get things goin' on the upgrade. Tarantulas, Airazor, _X_, and I will go gather the energon while Tigatron and the rest of you stay here to hunt for parts of the Predacon's ship. When we get back, we'll start our search for any more stasis pods."

"Depth Charge," Tigatron asserted, stepping forward, one of his concerns addressed. He was happy the pods were on their new leader's mind. He was worried they'd wait much longer and lose their unknown companions to the Vok. "I have an idea that can get us valuable intel on the Vok's whereabouts."

"Let's hear it."

"Send me after them," he intoned as softly as if he was already on the prowl. "I can hunt them down, stake out their position, and report back as quietly as the moon shines. They'll never know I'm there, and, if I'm lucky, they'll leave solid evidence of their plans."

The manta seemed to think on it, and nodded, but his answer wasn't what the feline wanted to hear, "Good idea, but I don't want anyone going anywhere alone; at least not until you're upgraded and have better chances of not getting your aft hauled back up into space." Tigatron winced sadly. "Besides, you'll be needed here, to keep your team in line and defend our headquarters. Understood?"

The ghostly cat nodded, suddenly nervous at the word 'team.' He'd be leading the home front's party? "Understood."

Airazor hid a relieved smile and placed a supporting hand on his shoulder pad.

"Right... Let's move out," Depth Charge grumbled deeply and transformed into his flight mode, hovering before slowly moving upwards.

"Where's Rampage?" Tarantulas wondered aloud, glancing around curiously. He didn't want to ask for a ride up the mountains, but his awfully_ useless_ legs…

A dark snarl answered him.

"The slagger'll follow."

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**Author's Discussion:**

_At 6:12 AM I'm not entirely sure I wanna say much, but I do think this chapter was kinda slow. On the other hand, maybe it's my brain. _

_To be honest, I'm a bit uncertain about this episode. You can probably guess what the main theme will be from the title and the dream sequence at the beginning, but I'm assuring myself the epi's necessary. We'll basically be taking a look at one way DC will be learning more about Rampage's history as the fic progresses. As we saw, he was rather upset that a youngling would be tortured, which puts him on Rampage's side, but then he doesn't know it's Rampage (hopefully, yall do. :D ) so he stays on his own side. If he did know it was Rampage, though, what then? Well, we won't know yet. But a single memory won't make him change his mind, of course, so don't hope for the best, heh. _

_Ew, a cockroach. Dx Ew, ew, ew! And yet so fitting, imo! X3_

_I had to rewrite the dream a couple times before I hit on a sequence that would be influential enough for the story and unique compared to the many similar dream sequences I've seen in other fics. Hopefully, it wasn't boring. And we'll see…a lot more like them. ._. I also wanted to make it dark without actually using experiments themselves to convey horror. You know, cutting things up, acid, burning, spark torture, etc. I feel like making graphic scenes like that could be effectively terrifying, but not exactly what I wanted to do here – I wanted to touch more on morality and ethics with the dream. DC is so angry and hateful towards Page I wouldn't be surprised if he thought everything that happened to him was deserved, like he said after the dream. So an ethical problem would put his opinion more in a twist. That and exploring various doctor's attitude towards the experiment and stuff would help further my own plans down the road… I could go on, but I should really shut up, lol._

_So, here it begins. As I said before, Tigatron and Airazor are not the perfect couple. They have their problems, too, but while we got a glimpse or foreshadowing, this will not be a major subplot of this epi._

_I like Airazor-Terrorsaur interactions. I think they have such potential. Without the option to just scrap each other, their personalities can grate causing Airazor to show her worse self and possibly Terrorsaur showing a better side. Later, though. Later._

_Looking ahead at my plans for the rest of the epi, I hope it's not boring, lol. This epi wasn't made for action packed excitement, more like char exploration. I'm trying for a darker feel next chappie, I hope I succeed! Well, at least for half of it. The other half will be lighter._

_For those of you who might wonder, not all the epis will focus on DC and Rampage as main charries. n_n I notice that every chapter so far follows DC a lot. Which is okay since BW epis followed OP a lot, but hey. Just in case you were wondering._

_There might have been more I wanted to address, but I'm really tired so…good morning. _

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	12. Ep4 Bad Dreams, Part Two

**Disclaimer:** _I. Do. Not. Own. Beast. Wars. ;_;_

**Author's Notes:**

_Errmm…some explanation and notes are done at the bottom. No pre-story notes this time._

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact **

**Bad Dreams, Part Two**

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Gasp. Wheeze. Curse. Drag. Gurgle.

Tarantulas's many legs hauled him up the steep slope at a break neck pace of maybe one click a megacycle. Rampage had refused to give him a ride, so the spider was left to scramble to keep up with everyone else. He'd normally spit and complain, plot revenge, blackmail a ride out of _someone_, or all three, (Technically, _normally_, he'd be just fine on his own. Oh, how he longed for his bike mode…) but the Vok could be anywhere and his main concern was keeping up.

Depth Charge and Airazor were flying overhead, occasionally circling before leveling out again, leading them further up and up. The forest grew darker with every passing cycle they moved. Thunder rolled in the distance. The occasional lightning bolt illuminating tall cliffs and deep crevices. Twice the party was slowed as the two bots on foot had to find a way to cross one of the many gorges that dropped endlessly without warning. Fog rolled in, not too thick, but heavy enough to blanket the area and obscure vision at about twenty feet. The trees here were oddly dead looking, bare branches and pale bark, but a few had leaves or hanging vines and moss. It was interesting. This was a jungle located on the craggy slopes of a very warm and moist mountain, facing the ocean. It probably should have been a deciduous forest, but the energon around here might have tampered with the natural climate, rather than just the weather. In the distance, through the mist, he thought he spotted a tall mountain peak, and….

Wait…This place was very familiar.

Feeling a tingly sensation at his back, the spider hopped, spinning and planting himself on the ground to face whatever was behind him. He only saw the reflective pink pinpricks of cat eyes in the mist. Sabers? He wasn't too concerned about them. A single bite and they'd be dead in a nanosec if they dared attack. Probably put off by his defensive behavior, the eyes moved off to find weaker prey, leaving Tarantulas alone.

Alone.

Turning back around he realized he'd lost Rampage. His green eyes zipped around. Where was he? Where was that crab? A wave of thick fog washed over him, blocking out the grey sky, and he couldn't see the flyers either. Oh slag! No! They could be anywhere! Fighting mounting panic, his wheezing grew more pronounced and his spark raced in his carapace. His eight mottled legs trembled slightly as he spun in place, searching the grey clouds around him for the pale ghosts. He could practically hear their slimy voices again, feel their hair-like tentacles sliding into his spark! _Where was the group!_

He froze. He could feel someone watching him. He barely breathed as terror filled him. He couldn't hear anything, but he could feel someone's presence behind him. Frightened, he slowly turned around, each of his legs moving one at a time. His eight small eyes met the two large ones above him, embedded in the massive shadow that seemed to overpower any essence of light that might make its way into these dark woods.

"Having fun?" an evilly gleeful voice asked him.

Tarantulas didn't know whether he should self destruct or melt from relief. It wasn't the Vok, it was Rampage!

A formidable claw took hold of his abdomen before he could move away and lifted him into the air. "Hmm, Tarantulas, you seem to have forgotten our anniversary."

"W-what?" The disharmonized legs danced, stretching towards the ground.

Rampage gasped despairingly, "You don't remember? Not a year ago, you and I met in this very spot. It was a lovely day, not much different than this, and I found you with my pod. You seemed so interested in it and you were the first bot I'd seen in a while. I just had to say 'hello.'"

Tarantulas stopped struggling, remembering the awful moment. With horror he came to the revelation what the crab was going to do. "D-D-Depth Charge is right above us …and we're working together now! You can't tear me apart, you need me!" Rampage chuckled, shaking his claw a little. "I – An anniversary is supposed to happen exactly _one_ whole stellar cycle after the chosen event! It hasn't been a year! _It hasn't been a year!"_

Rampage paused, considering this. Okay, so he'd gotten it almost right. He'd thought it was a day people chose to celebrate an original event that happened in the past, but he didn't know it had to be one stellar cycle on the clock. He didn't dwell on it long, though. The spider must have been pretty desperate to rely on semantics to get him out of harm's way.

"I suppose you're right…" he muttered thoughtfully, his voice a rumbling purr. Just his closeness and the fact his claw was around the spider sent ripples of fear through the air, he needn't even do anything.

"I am! I am!"

"And we _do_ need you…"

"You do!"

"MmHmm," he hummed with a sigh. "We'll have to come back and celebrate _later_." He set the shivering tarantula down with extreme tenderness and patted its back like one would a pet. "Good boy."

As he moved off, the fog lifted, and the arachnid collapsed in relief, a sigh big enough to change the wind's direction leaving his broken body. However, he couldn't stay there or Rampage would leave him behind. He forced himself up and he crawled after, eyes almost shut trying to peer through the thin mist. As he rounded a boulder he was sure the crab had disappeared to, a collision with Rampage's crustacean behind prevented progress. The aquatic was looking up.

"What is it?" the spider snapped with irritation in his voice. The tone was mostly to cover up his fear and embarrassment, though he knew it was mostly for his sake.

"Depth Charge…is listing…"

The eightlegged oddball followed the bot's gaze to see their leader trailing off sideways. Airazor didn't seem to notice.

Rampage's voice cut the forest's quiet as he opened a comm.

"Airazor. Wake the Big Tuna up before he crashes."

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_He struggled valiantly against the bonds as bots around him sprayed solvents on him. The smell was overpowering and frightened him – it reminded him of the labs, of doctors and knives and … He pushed those memories away. He'd escaped them, they were dead. And he'd destroy anyone else who tried to do those things to him again. He was in control now. He was powerful and smart and free!_

_Not so anymore, he supposed. His friend from Omicron had finally found him and captured him, too. He liked him a lot, but then the bot captured him and brought him to be judged on Cybertron. He didn't like it here – too many sparks, too much activity, too much noise! Noise! In his spark and mind, it crowded him. He wanted it all to end and he vowed he'd make it end with force if he could just…get these bonds…off!_

_There were too many bots holding him back and they were too well armed. He was weakened and they shocked him with tasers to mess up his equilibrium. Eventually, he found himself forced into a small container – a stasis pod, he heard them say. With effort, they managed to bind him inside, the tasers zapping most of his energy away. His freedom had been so sweet. And when he'd found out he was being chased by his old friend, he'd been overjoyed! Oh, how much fun that had been! But now he was being shipped elsewhere and Depth Charge could do nothing about it. Sadly, he sent his good bye. But X was already looking forward to the next part of his adventure. Maybe his friend would find him wherever he was going. That would be fun! The bots closed in, tasers at the ready. _

Depth Charge straightened his course and noticed Tarantulas falling behind. He looped around in lazy circle, but he drifted slightly and a scene flickered into his mind again. He really wished these would stop. But how did he make them go away? He'd never heard of this happening because of a bond before. Was it because he was so tired? X was slipping into his tired mind, and it made him angry. Even so, he couldn't help but…

_One night, a little scurrying caught the youngling's attention. It rose from the berth, its head lolling just a bit. Its neck cables were strong enough to handle its head's weight but in its pain and fatigue, it could barely even sit straight. _

He_, it reminded itself. He was smart. He knew he was more alike to the doctors than they acted. He learned a lot from them, even if they tried to keep quiet around him. But he knew that he was not an "it", like a light or a berth, but a he. He was a person, like them. He didn't know what he did to end up in this place and he couldn't remember anything before waking up here, but he liked to think that before they brought him here, he was a 'big time criminal' like the guards said he was. The guards weren't supposed to talk around him, but they did anyway. And sometimes they theorized about the 'prisoners.' They were told that Protoform X was 'one of those bad guys.' The really 'bad aft' ones that killed people and 'took no names.' The way the guards talked, it was almost as if they admired him. He liked it. Maybe he was a big bad guy and whatever he did to get put in here was why they made him hurt. They hurt him, because he hurt others, and that was how it worked. It made sense to him. Why else would he be here? He just couldn't remember. _

_Sliding off the berth, he settled on the floor, where he caught sight of a tiny creature running around. It was scared. He stretched out a hand and held it there for a long time, until it came over to sniff him. It was a curious little thing but it didn't seem too smart. If he was so bad, why didn't it run away? Didn't it know he was a killer? He picked it up but didn't know what to do with it. Maybe he could eat it. But it was covered in something soft, and it was so light he barely felt it in his hands. With a finger, he touched its head and it bent to sniff. It had a long, pink tail, and a tiny pink nose. He peered closer to discover that it had teensy hands, sort of like his. He was hungry, so maybe he thought maybe it was hungry, and that's why it was slightly distressed, but he had no food. Oh well… _

_A megacycle later, it fell asleep on his shoulder. It liked him. And he liked it. He'd eat it later._

The flying ray jerked himself awake and exited the loop. He flew parallel to Airazor for about a cycle before he found himself noticing how nice the cool air was. It reminded him of the ocean, somehow, and the thunder seemed to die off a bit as the storm waned. He knew it'd come back full force soon. Fuzzy recharge creeped in on him again. He tried to push it away, but flying had a calming effect on him as it was. Now he was sleepy and he heard voices in the fog below. What were they saying?

"_It's failed." _

_A young voice pulled him from the depths of discomfort, but he couldn't see._

"_It hasn't failed. It's just different."_

_The doctor. Or one of them. He couldn't remember which one. It sounded like…one of the older ones._

"_It's not what the Elders wanted. They wanted a replica. They, and we, wanted an exact copy of his legendary abilities. It has to be able to survive outside of a body and remain conscious, for example. He can move to a different body without adverse effects. He- ah - Healing abilities are phenomenal, really, they are. But unless you can find a way to transfer a spark ability to other sparks, the Council isn't interested. As far as we know, it's impossible and you, yourself, said there is a way to kill it." The young voice spoke rapidly and he sounded rushed. He was talking about Protoform X? _

_A sigh. "It is known to be impossible, but we haven't worked on this project this long to just drop it. There are two ways to transfer spark abilities – "_

"_One of which is out of the question and the other?"_

_He wondered, Spark ability? He could share them? How? His mind felt heavy. It was probably the drugs. He might not remember any of this later. _

"_Has to be found. Even creating a spark like this is a huge leap in science, so progress _has_ been made!" the old doctor was getting excited, both enthusiastic and fearful at once. He'd been hounded about this before… This was definitely the oldest doctor, the dark green one. He frequently liked to cut his body to pieces and try to zap something from his spark into another body, but at least he put him under most of the time._

"_No one's denying that." the younger stated slowly as if for the thousandth time._

"_Besides, if we did replicate that spark, how would we take immortality and put it on the market? Would it be easier to put that spark ability into a drug than this one? Besides, this is better. One wouldn't even have to transfer bodies if they were destroyed, they'd just regrow or put themselves back together!" Happiness, curiosity. Greed._

"_Yeah…Okay, I'll talk to them, but it's still going on the record as failed, by definition. It isn't what the Elders wanted, so it's _failed_. But you have made progress, so funding will continue. We want to see results, okay? A few Elders are getting restless in their old age." Determination, glee, the sharp edges of a bot who was focused and busy. Greed._

"_I understand. Now, if you please, I have work to do and you interrupted one of the very experiments you're funding. Your credits are being wasted the longer you fill my lab with your hot air." _

_So the bot had actually come into the labs. And allowed to interrupt. Interesting. Could this bot see him? Could the young one see his body on the table, ripped apart? He didn't think the doctor knew he was awake, or else he'd have been put back under by now. They kept talk to a minimum, or whispers, when he was around, not realizing he could hear more than they thought._

"_Yeah, yeah, get back to work. You've got three months 'til I come back to bug you again."_

_Freedom…what was taking so long?…_

His course was wobbly and his fins felt tilted. Where was he going again? He saw Airazor looking at him with alarm and she flew closer. Were the trees supposed to be this tall? This seriously had to stop.

_He was melting! His hands pushed against the lid of the stasis pod, but they were liquefying before his optics. He'd been melted before, but that hurt. Why didn't it hurt now? Was he dying? Were they killing him before they shipped him away? Would he ever wake up again? _

_He quickly decided it didn't matter. If he was to be revived, he'd escape again and disappear. If they destroyed him…then he didn't have to feel anymore. That was a nice thought. He just wished … that he wasn't alone._

_Slowly, his mental processes were copied and stored and the pod was moved, jostled around, then stilled, a light humming vibrating the metal prison slightly. _

_He felt himself go offline._

"Depth Charge!"

The ray transformed, hitting the dirt in robot mode and skidding to a halt. He placed his hand on a rock until he found his balance and he shook his entire self violently, the action making him feel a little more awake. The sound of metal shifting and Airazor appeared beside him.

"You _really_ need to get some rest," she warned with a frown.

"Later."

The silver bird slumped a bit and watched as their earthbound companions joined them, Tarantulas transforming and starting scans of the local area while Rampage… The crab was looking anywhere but at the ray, and yet she could tell he was still eyeing him. Airazor noticed Depth Charge didn't look in the crabbot's direction either, but was tense enough to snap. There was an awkward silence and the falcon could sense a really bad fight. She was surprised the short tempered leader hadn't said something already.

"Alright!" she exclaimed peppily. She earned a disapproving glance from the spiderbot. Cheerfulness never suited him. "I think we should split up to cover more ground."

The manta ray nodded, "Yeah," _Before I kill him, _he thought. "I'll head that way. Airazor, Tarantulas - you two stay together."

The ray struck off into the jungle without further instruction.

"_Well_…whatever's bothering him, I hope it's not contagious," Tarantulas chuckled darkly.

"For sanity's sake, I'll say 'It had better not be' and leave it at that," the flyer stated pointedly, putting distance between herself and the slyly leering arachnid.

"Tehehehee!"

Rampage hovered behind the pair as they searched, but his thoughts were on the blue giant that had just stalked off. He stopped, hesitant, then scuttled sideways over some bushes and into the ferns.

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"Well, lookie what we got here," Quickstrike sneered. He smirked down at a blue wire between his claws. It was partially melted and laid on a warm rock, alone, no other parts visible in the area. The scorpion circled it, throwing his snake forward, then yanking it away; drawing his weapon, then yanking it away. He rushed at it, then scuttled backwards. "Aha! Ya think yer all that, donch'er? …Alright, I'll leave ya to yer business." He turned and started to trot away, but then spun around and drew his snake head level with it. "_Yeeaaa_!"

"Megatron recruited _this_ guy in my place?" Terrorsaur wondered aloud to no one in particular. He stared at the hyper Cybertronian as he proceeded to wrestle with the blue wire, yelling and cursing and carrying on.

Inferno passed by, but stopped at the question to look. He nodded and spoke as if gesturing grandly, "Affirmative. He was a hard working and loyal warrior to the colony! A brave fighter, as well." The ant was in beast mode, his antennae scanning the ground for anything useful. The large black eyes seemed to peer at the crimson flyer with distaste. "You would do well to follow in his footsteps, Terrorsaur."

The other Predacon moaned and looked skyward. "Don't start, pest."

The insect said nothing and kept up his search, a disapproving aura about him. A streak of white and violet glided by and Tigatron transformed into robot mode. He was distracted and a little ornery.

"Has anyone found anything in this sector?" he asked grimly, not expecting a positive answer.

"I did!" Quickstrike volunteered, waving the thin filament about. He brought it over as one would a dead outlaw, rough but with respect for the dead. He presented it humbly. "May the Matrix take its weary soul … and kick its aft to the Pit!"

The tiger glanced uncertainly at Terrorsaur, who turned away with annoyance.

"Thank you, Quickstrike," he replied, relieved. He placed it in substorage. "This is a good sign. We should continue to patrol the area for more parts, just in case. Terrorsaur, you should fly - "

"I don't feel like flying right now."

"…okay. On foot, then." Tigatron resisted a growl. He'd _not_ let a petty, snippish attitude get to him…

The search continued, the scurrying sound of many legs tickling the rocks as Inferno and Quickstrike ran around wildly, as insects do. The tiger was searching as well, sniffing for the tell tale scent of Cybertronian metal, but some part of him took the time to find interest in the ant and scorpion beast modes. He'd been so busy fighting them before, he'd never had a chance to observe how their beast modes affected their behavior, as he had Optimus and the others. He noticed that the both of them had a pattern, Inferno's more methodical and routine, if vigorous, while Quickstrike's search was predatory and thorough.

"Don't you cats hunt mice and wildebeest?"

The grating voice interrupted his thoughts and Tigatron paused to eyeball the mech over his shoulder plate.

"You were lookin' at them," a wave of a robotic black thumb, "like you were going to eat them."

"Nonsense, Predacon. I was studying them. I find their behavior interesting; an imitation of their organic counterparts, and yet characteristic of their personalities and cognitive ability. If one didn't know they were Cybertronian, one might still conclude they were sentient."

Before he even finished, Terrorsaur's optics betrayed that his mind was already quickly making is way towards the end of the galaxy. He sighed and went back to his mission.

He'd _much_ rather be hunting their main threat than babysitting.

He reached a small canyon, the bottom caked with cooling magma, and hopped over. Terrorsaur took a look and stepped back, looking stubborn, before activating his thrusters and hovering across as fast as he could. Tigatron had been too wrapped up in himself to notice but… it seemed the flyer was anxious. He shook his head, not bothering to think on it.

He wouldn't admit it since this was his given duty, but he was bored. He'd searched the surrounding lava islands thoroughly, finding no parts whatsoever. The tiny wire was a good indication that parts could be here, but he was starting to think the majority of the ship was sunken and disintegrating beneath their feet. He sighed again, frustrated, and quickened his pace.

Another thirty cycles later, he was about to quit. Terrorsaur was too quiet to be considered healthy, Quickstrike was talking to himself after an attempt to rile the ant into a fight was thwarted by a bonk on the head with a heavy red abdomen and a firm talking to, and Inferno was … well he was as wary as ever, marching unhindered among flaming rocks. They should head back and check on the cave. Tarantulas had activated a security system similar to Sentinel, but less advanced. It placed a shield around the entrance and would warn the group of invasion. Simple and straightforward. And nothing had happened yet.

Just as Tigatron was going to bark an order to return to base and pace around in front of the lair for the rest of the day, Waspinator came singing over a ridge and the tiger shut his mouth in shame. He'd forgotten an ally. Guilt marred his restlessness – something could have happened to someone on his watch and he wouldn't even know. It being a Predacon and the most unfortunate bot he'd ever known didn't matter.

The green one continued to giggle, buzzing in circles around the groups' heads, dancing from side to side occasionally. He threw big innocent eyes at everyone once in a while, as if daring them to ask why he was so cheery. No one went for the bait and just observed, waiting. But the thin flyer was tenacious. He stopped circling and did a loop de loop one way, then did one the opposite direction.

"For _Spark's Sake,_ Waspinator – _WHAT IS IT!"_ Terrorsaur finally shouted, looking a little crazed. It was probably best if the group left soon, Tigatron thought, or else the mech would have a break down. Guilt struck again; he probably should have made that decision earlier. Was the lava and its history with the pale faced bot part of the reason the _flyer_ hadn't 'felt like' _flying_?

"_Wasp_inator make _graa_-" he waved his arms around to indicate something huge. " – _aaaand_ discovery! Heehee!" He wiggled as if he couldn't contain the news.

The white Maximal felt too depressed to really hope, but he dared to try, "Where, Waspinator? Where is this discovery?"

"Waspinator will lead kittybot and _whooole_ group to Waspinator's 'discovery' if everyone say 'please.'"

The feline was dead sure he heard everyone's processors hold back the urge to shoot. The yellow jacket was wriggling again and starting to spin upside down in his excitement.

"Waspinator, would you _please_ lead us to this discovery of yours?" Tigatron asked as politely as he could muster.

The other three sort of looked at each other before Inferno transformed and leaped high in the air with aid from his flight booster. He then divebombed the wasp into the volcanic rock. Quickstrike cheered and hopped in place.

"_Show us_ the way, wasp!" he yelled, pointing his disproportionately huge flamethrower at the tiny struggling head of his comrade. "Or **BUUUUURRRRNNN**!"

He looked _all_ too happy to do it, as did the scorpion behind him, and Terrorsaur _almost_ looked nostalgic.

"Antbot…courteous… as _ever_!" the emerald bug managed to say from under a heavy foot. He squeaked as he got himself free, then hovered again, crossing three sets of 'arms.' "_Fine_. _Wasp_inator lead ungrateful _n00bs_ to 'discovery', but _Wasp_inator _own_ it. No one touches Waspinator's property without _permission_ from Waspinator!"

"Now or be _charbroiled_!"

"Alright! Hop to it, bumblebug!"

"Yeah, whatever."

Another fine example of how Predacons got things done. Not for the first time today, Tigatron sighed.

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**Author's Discussion:**

_:D _

_I liked the second half of the fic, hee. I wonder what the 'discovery' is? :3_

_Kk, so, let's see…_

_Wow, I can't think of much to say… but I will anyway. __**Yay for getting to know the author**__. ._. Hehhh… I suppose you could skip this if ya really wanna…_

First, comments on the fic:

_I have some very conflicting moods here between the two scenes, I think. Is the first half dark enough?_

_I _had_ to throw in Tarry and Rampage's 'moment.' I also rewrote the dreams several times, yet again. Had to be sure they didn't give too much away. Part of my fic, I have determined by now, is having Rampage's past and all the implications be a mystery to unfold over the course of the fic. I also hope the dreams don't paint him as the "victim" TOO much. I really don't want him to sound pathetic. My goal is to make him sound… thoughtful, with goals like anyone else if a bit different, helpless but knowing it and working with it, smart and using his smarts, deny himself the truth sometimes in order to cope, etc. A real thinking guy who grew up in a really bad place but not knowing there as something better until he learns enough about it from the biased people around him…I could go on, but I won't. I hope you know what I mean, heh. DC's understanding Rampage is only part (a big part) of the fic, and DC can always choose to deny the memories and dreams. _

_I wonder how Rampage is feeling about this. Seems he knows something's up, but we won't know his stance until next chapter._

_I feel bad for Tigatron, but I hope to expand on his character using his own strengths. He's awesome in the show, but I feel like his preferences and path in life are also his weaknesses and, if in the wrong situation, his powerful preference for the wild and being alone could cause unhappiness, stress, and maybe even aggressive behavior. He seemed panicked and rash when his friends were in danger, he seemed scared angry towards technology despite lessons learned, and he got a little woooo when he was trapped or unable to do what he wanted to do. I hope to explore that a bit and also use it to explore his relationship with Airazor – where they walk side by side and where they can't agree._

Next, Notes regarding an interesting and important aspect I touched on in the fic briefly**.**_** The Following May Be Relevant Later:**_

_Drugs – To me Cybertronian drugs work similarly to human ones, but not exactly the same. We humans use the blood stream mostly to get drugs where they need to go, where the chemicals then directly interact with specified cells and stuff. In my fic, and my mind, Transformer drugs are one of two things – a fuel injectant that affects nervous receptors in some desired way (a lot like bloodstream kinda drugs) that needs to be injected into mech fluid lines or fuel lines or whatev. OR it's a string of data code that interacts with a bot's programming to produce certain results, sometimes even permanently. Permanent changes would probably not be a drug, like loading an update to a computer program augments the original files to run better or something. A temporary code would be more like a drug in that it affects some function, then decays, letting the original programming go back to normal. _

_That being said, there's also viruses and neurosurgery. Neurosurgery and similar coding thingies would be like what Tarantulas did to change BA to a Predacon. Apparently, he installed this big elaborate programming chip. This isn't the same as a drug, it's more like operating on the brain. So…it's different. 8D_

_Then with viruses… (I'll just address it now in case it comes up later) I see it as a combo of how we think viruses work and how computer viruses work – it's a string of coding that, by direct contact with something electronic (such as medical equipment, some scanners, tech mines, fluid or tainted energon with nanites or an electronic liquid like in the Low Road. Something like those and formatted to transfer it), will transfer into a bot's coding and affect stuff in the processor by altering that coding. Liiiiike, it gets in there, disguised or not, and links into the codes. Then it imitates them and copies them, changing sequences while, at the same time, it blocks the original programming. To get rid of it, one has to destroy the new programming and reboot the old one back into place. This causes things like robotic colds or weird behavior or a processor implosion, affecting the physical functions of the body and/or the mental functions. Some viruses might even attack the spark, but I imagine that's a slightly different technology. _

And Closing Notes:

_Overall, with their advances tech, sickness and stuff act and do very similarly to how organic viruses act and do, just a different process and some different effects._

…_okay, enough with the lessons! 8D_

_Can anyone guess what the little creature Lil Rampage found? :3 _

_Oh yeah! The "younger voice" in DC's dream? I kinda wanted it to sound like the ...uh, business guy in the movie Avatar. The one in charge of the corporation's mission, all concerned about money. I don't know his name and I know there are other characters out there in the universe who are just like him, but he's the one that came to mind. So, that's what he sounds like. We may be seeing more of him later. Maybe._

_Reviews are love. *_*_


	13. Ep4 Bad Dream, Part Three

**Disclaimer:** _I don't want to say it…but…I don't own Beast Wars, guys. I know you all tooootally thought I did, but, alas, I don't. Sorry, sorry... Now, get reading._

**Author's Notes:**

_Berysnirls = small, organic slug-like animals that originate from and reside on Omicron. They are really slow._

_I'd accuse Depth Charge of being Emo this chapter, but considering what he's seeing, and the fact he's so sweepy weepy, I think he has legitimate reason to feel this emotional. At least it's anger though, not angst. _

_I was right, this is the longest chapter yet – 9600 words! WOOO - Ugghhhh…! x_x_

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**Beast Wars: Deep Impact **

**Bad Dreams, Part Three**

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It could be said that Airazor was patient, trusting, supportive, and 'cool.'

And she wouldn't argue.

But today she was feeling a bit grumpy, irritable, just the slightest bit vindictive, and spacey. She was lost in her own thoghts, her mind constantly returning to some real possibilities in her and her mate's futures. She knew her mate well, and she knew he could be just as stubborn and childish as Cheetor on a bad day in his own flavor when things that kept him comfortably within his own bubble were taken away. For example, he would protest fixedly that he could go alone and that he preferred to hunt that way. If Optimus had offered to help, he'd almost freak out before turning down the help in a more polite manner. She guessed that it was a cat thing to be a little wired. The bird of prey didn't doubt he had the resourcefulness to get himself out of almost any situation, but she constantly worried about him. That and she found heself alone a lot despite their relationship. She understood, she really did, and she loved having time to herself. Being a flyer, she liked to just soar up in the cool atmosphere and she wished she could take him with her sometimes. She wished he could fly, too, other times, but she'd never ask him to change. However, when he went to stalk alone he'd leave her behind and all she could do was send her wishes and wait. Only a few times had he encountered something so great he sent her warm feelings and images to her through their bond and most of the time he was gone for a long time. It made her lonely, but she'd never let him know that.

"It's just how he is, and I accepted that when I told him I loved him."

Just when she'd started talking out loud, she didn't know, but catching her wind of her own humble, troubled voice now, she looked up to find Tarantulas giving her a bored and agitated look with a device in one clawed hand and a crystal of energon in the other three fingered hand.

"Finally realized you were thinking _out loud_, Maximal? It's dangerous to do that around _me_, I'm sure you know," the purple bot groused testily.

She glared but couldn't bring herself to retaliate. Tarantulas was the last person she would have wanted to rant to and it almost made her ashamed to have been talking about such private matters with… with The Creep Who Almost Ate Cheetor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to unload my personal issues onto you," she said with genuine embarrassment, but it came out sort of automatically and she didn't have time to take it back - who ever apologized to Tarantulas anyway?

Indeed, who did? For just a moment, he looked taken aback, but he quickly recovered and chortled. "Hehe, No need to apologize, Airazor. I found it interesting how two such bots _so perfect_ for each other had some unaddressed problems with their relationship. Did you bother getting to know each other before you bonded or did you rush into it like youngling fools?"

Incensed, the Maximal growled, "And just how would _you_ know whether we're bonded?"

He looked at her and raised one side of his optic ridge. _I know everything, my sweet_, the look stated clearly and she rolled her optics. No he did _not_, she thought. And don't _call_ me 'my sweet.'

She kicked a tree stump and balled her fists, but her anger was misdirected. They _had _sort of rushed into it, though it didn't feel like it at the time. After only about six months, the pair just knew they were meant for each other and shared one lovely night together that resulted in a beautiful and unbreakable bond. She got all fluttery inside just thinking of it, but it didn't make her occasional loneliness or current irritability go away. She sighed, "Forget I said anything. It's _none_ of your business and we'll work it out on our own, thanks."

"Suit yourself, then, dear, but I shouldn't be the one you should be talking to, am I?"

No…

The pair went silent and Tarantulas kept working, placing crystals into some kind of converter that was slowly filling up as indicated by a meter on its side. A closer look revealed that it was a smaller version of the one attached to the energon dispenser in the lair. Smaller, but it probably could hold a lot more energon, the fembot reflected. In an attempt to do her part in this, she carefully handled some energon crystals herself with a grasper mechanism the spider had given her. She mainly picked up ones that were further from the cluster, not sure how to separate one from a whole cluster. She left the fissuring of highly reactive crystals to the mad scientist.

Just as she finished picking up the last stray, fighting energon build up (and waving away clouds of Tarantulas fart when the build up got to be too much for the crippled spider), she spotted one more at the base of a nearby tree. Most of the energon had been collected by now. The converter pack was full and, according to a belly aching Tarantulas, heavier. Where the bot had stored it on the way up here, she'd never know; her subspace pockets weren't big enough to hold a whole battery contraption thing, maybe his were. She stooped to pick up the little crystal that soon shimmered at the end of the grasper.

"Here's the last one," she noted softly. She turned to head over to the arachnid but as their optics met they both stiffened.

Out of the corner of her optic, Airazor could see a dark shape standing at the edge of the bushes, hidden just barely by a fern. It was a mere shadow, and it was a little shorter than her, but she could feel its stare crawling up her wings. Tarantulas was notably shivering, terrified. He looked ready to bolt, but she prayed he wouldn't. Slowly, she moved sideways, trying to both distance herself from the Vok and also cut off Tarantulas's possible escape route, but the spiderbot was moving too. Together, they reached the opposite edge of the clearing, the energon converter between them, and the Vok decided to step forward.

Its figure was sort of thin, with a broad chest and what looked like a cape on its back. It was brown and shiny, and its head was small, its face wizened. Six legs protruded from under the cape and each had sharp spines running the length of them. Its optics were pure white.

"Tarantulas," she whispered. "Don't you _dare_ run."

He didn't answer.

The cape spread wide, revealing itself to be a set of wings, and the small figure's chest started to glow.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Tigatron followed the buzzing flyer at a trot in beast mode, wondering just how far they were headed. He had started to become suspicious that maybe this was a trap to lead him the farthest away from the lair, but he'd shaken that off. They couldn't' afford to be suspicious these days; he had to put a tiny bit of trust towards his allies. That goal would be hard to fulfill, watching the squealing bug dart around in front of him confirmed it, but he'd try his hardest to take the risk.

"This bunch of bots is slow! Hurry up!" Waspinator called, and Tigatron picked up the pace a little bit. His processor was starting to ache watching the wasp flash across his field of vision. If there was any strength Waspinator had as a flyer that he didn't utilize as well as he could have, it was his agility in the air. Without converting to robot mode, the yellow jacket could hover, fly backwards, do flips, and make sharp turns without losing control. Unfortunately for the explodable wasp, his thought processes were not as dexterous.

The group passed an unusual rock formation and the feline nearly stopped to stare. It was as if something had cut it right in half, the rest of it scattered across the dark rocky plateau around it. Something _big_ had come through here, and, as he traced the path with more clarity and hope, he saw the undeniable signs of a crash landing. He heard the flyer giggle again and he almost joined him.

With a grunt, he realized he'd fallen behind and watched as Terrorsaur went beast mode in front of him, taking to the air. He had to do a double take – he hadn't seen it earlier, but the bot looked even more realistically organic than before. The way he took off, flew, tilted his wings… It lacked the purposeful sentience the others displayed in their behavior. Just how well would those upgrades imprint The Tiger on his own programming if Terrorsaur looked like that? The thought warmed his spark.

"HEYYYYAAAAAGGGHHH!" Inferno shouted, and Tigatron was launched back into the present. The ant was in robot mode, waving a gun around, hopping from foot to foot. He was standing on the raised edge of the next rock outcropping and Quickstrike was about to join him. The loud trumpet of a pterosaur filled the air propitiously as it soared overhead and Tigatron pulled himself into a flatout sprint. As he neared the group, he saw a triangular gold spire grow from his horizon to the sky. He leaped, landing next to Inferno, and almost cheered himself.

There, at the center of a crater with boulders and gravel around it was the slightly smoldered curved wing of the Predacon ship. Not the one that had been cut in half in the space battle pre-Beast Wars, but a good 80% of the one that had remained intact. The end of it looked hollow, as if a storage compartment had survived the blast.

The thunderous gunning of Inferno's flight booster kicked to life and Tigatron and Quickstrike were left scrambling to catch up. Soon, all five of them were at the edge of the large structure's blade, staring. To most of the bots here, the striped Maximal reasoned, this had once been home, but now it was salvation. The tech in this wing alone could help build at least the frame to another ship! Or an entire probe! Or…_something_!

"Ahh, the good ol' _Darksyde_," Terrorsaur sighed fondly. "She flew well." He crawled forward to rest a claw on it but Waspinator zoomed in out of nowhere.

"_No touching_!" he reminded with a wagging 'finger.' "This is Waspinator's property."

The bug pointed downward and the team's focus was brought to a little green flag crafted out of twigs and metal that sported a large W on it. Tigatron groaned and transformed to place a hand on Inferno's rising gun arm; the antbot surprisingly brought it back down and settled for a disgruntled growl. It was Terrorsaur who spoke up first, though, and the team's 'leader' had to fight himself into settling for another lesson Predacon team dynamics.

"Waspinator. This ship isn't yours. You didn't claim _anything_!" the flying lizard accused.

The wasp looked properly perplexed, as did Tigatron. The flag was _right there_.

"Waspinator's flag is _right there_! Does Terrorbot not see it!"

"You stuck it in a pile of rocks! You claimed the rocks, not the ship!" He poked the small pile, which fell over, the flag falling on the ground with a small _tink!_

"Whaa!"

Terrorsaur pulled out a tiny flag of his own, this one made of polished metal and fine red thermacloth with a picture of a jet and a big T on it. He forced it into a crack in the side of the wing.

"I, _Terrorsaur_, claim this piece of scrap as mine!"

Tigatron facepalmed. Just _when_ had the mech made that flag? And how long was Waspinator out here crafting a little flag of his own (Where had he gotten the sticks!) before coming to tell the rest of them he'd found anything?

"NOT FAIR! Terrorbot _not fair_! Waspinator got ship first! Waspinator even helped steal it!"

"I _piloted _the slaggin' thing!"

Quickstrike wandered around the edge to find a comfortable looking chair and poker table had been thrown from the attached cargo hold. "This is mine!" he yelled, clambering on top of it and curling around it. He got no response. Meanwhile, Inferno had marched his way to the cargo hold to look for anything that might still be online. This was normal behavior?

"_Waspinator_ _stole_ it! Waspinator distract guards and unhook station clamps from port!"

"_Terrorbot_ _chose_ the ship, hacked the controls, got us inside, and _named_ it! Then _I shot _the guards and _piloted_ us out of there! It's mine!"

Tigatron nodded resolutely, making sure his own flag was secure, and mentally curled up in embarrassment for stooping to these levels to get the cooperation of his teammates. "I, Tigatron," he interrupted, getting the squabbling pair's attention, "now claim this wing and all technology inside, minus personal and recreational items, as belonging to Depth Charge, our leader. Everyone else in association shares it as Maximal and Predacon property together." His flag was blue, had a fish on it, and a big DC labeled on the front in black. He shared Waspinator's poor artistic skills, but at least it was clear. "Not to worry; the 'piece of scrap' you stuck your flag in, Terrorsaur, remains yours."

"Where'd you get that flag?" Terrorsaur asked, ignoring the dig at his wording.

The white and violet mech held up a piece of blue insulant, that was still attached to the ship's plating, and a piece of black rock. The two Predacons exchanged glances and reluctantly put their flags away.

"Maximal!" Inferno called from the dark opening. "There is nothing in this compartment except two crates and a chair. The rest must have met its_ doom_ down below or else it is scattered elsewhere."

"Hmm…It's still a great leap in our favor," he remarked to the listening soldier. "…It's too big to move wholly. We'll have to cut it up and carry it back to base in pieces."

Inferno nodded in agreement. With a glare all around, Terrorsaur and his fellow flyer transformed to robot mode and started to use their optic lasers to cut into the metal. Tigatron blinked. He'd forgotten they could do that. For some reason, he'd always just associated optic lasers with Dinobot. Then again, he'd never seen these two use them in battle…

They weren't very fast, the armor plating specifically designed to withstand high temperatures, but as they focused their beams along the seams that already existed, the outer plating could be cut easily and the inside mechanisms carefully removed. Even though they wanted small parts, however, they couldn't exactly cut some of the larger structures without damage to wires, so on a couple large pieces of armor, they piled smaller bits and allowed Inferno's mighty ant strength to manage most of the heavy lifting.

Soon, the group was lifting chunks of Cybertronian tech over the lava. Tigatron had to admit to himself, he was surprised how well the group worked together when they stayed quiet and actually focused on a task. As he walked, a revelation apprehended him. He'd operated on the thought that the Predacons were a bunch of primitive savages who couldn't cooperate with one another or even socialize properly and his Maximal friends would probably agree, if with less vicious wording. But this operation had proven otherwise. Without even speaking, the Predacons had acted as one, each knowing their place and what to do with what. They'd done similar things countless times before, after all, and they'd survived three years of warfare without their side imploding. Tigatron had assumed they hadn't all jumped off cliffs like lemmings because of Megatron's intelligence and charisma. Apparently not. He knew Predacons couldn't be trusted and they were known to be amoral and violent and disrespectful towards other living creatures… but maybe, just maybe, he could be wrong.

-0-0-0-0-0-

Depth Charge couldn't believe his optics.

The charred bit of a stasis pod rested in his hand, dark silver with red. It had a black stripe across it and the buttons left on it were coded for ultimate encryption. It was made of exceptionally strong metal, as well.

It was a piece of Protoform X's pod.

He'd only seen the pod in passing, since he'd been so angry the Council had forbidden him from attending the monster's transfer. He'd gone anyway, but security had been tight and he'd have had to blast his way in to finish the job. He hadn't, (thought, he was sure he could take them!) and only watched as the giant pod was loaded onto a hover-transport vehicle along with at least fifty other pods to be loaded onto the _Axalon_. He remembered meeting Primal that day, the soon-to-be gorilla-airplane-thing having seen the imprisonment and forced stasis of the being Depth Charge had hunted. He had looked sad, sympathetic, but that only ticked the Marshall off. After a brief confrontation, he'd stormed off to a Summoning by the High Council. They said they'd transfer him to a different colony; same pay, same job, everything. Even a promotion if he wanted. He wouldn't settle for that. He couldn't. He told them they could shove it up their exhaust ports and took off.

And here he was, stranded on Ancient Earth of all places, holding a piece of the monster's pod. He should have finished this when he had the chance. He should have known better than to expect the government to take his side. They were so mired down in political slag that they were never really united and several of them had openly voted against killing the Protoform in favor of medical advancement and some slag. The ones who created X would have met Justice, they had said, had they not been slaughtered. He wondered sometimes if that was really true.

The large mech passed his gaze slowly around the clearing on the broken cliff. He stood and walked to the edge, looking down a rock slide and into a small crater; the leftovers of a battle site. He blinked.

_He'd underestimated their strength and intelligence. He'd just assumed he could take them on like he had the colonists and their pathetic security. He'd woken up from his stasis with circuits overloading from pain and the thrill to hunt again and gotten carried away, his mind only half functioning as he tried to piece together where he was. But his chosen prey this time had taken advantage of his muddled mind and his lack of fighting experience. Killing, he could do that. Battle, he had some training he'd gotten over the years, but he'd landed in the middle of war zone and didn't know it. These bots weren't here to defend themselves, they were here to fight, no holding back._

_Critical mistake, taking them on. To be honest, he didn't know what he was thinking. He hadn't acted rationally. Hadn't he learned anything in his 'travels?' _

_He lie, embedded in dark rock in the middle of this moist atmosphere, struggling to move and feeling dazed, kind of sleepy. His energy was still low… And there above him, smirking, was a big purple bot with darkness in his spark. He idn't like that spark. It reminded him of the doctors. And when the stranger had pulled out an energon scalpel, he'd done the only thing he could think of to get away. _

_Snapping to full alert, he peeled himself from the rubble and rolled away, aiming his cannon at the mech. But the bot calmly sidestepped his blast and came at him. In a show of strength, the one he'd come to know as Megatron ran right into him, excecuting some combination of attacks that left X reeling. The crabbot managed to fire off a few shots, but they hit the rock wall behind the mech and the whole place seemed to crash around him. He kept firing, not sure what he was seeing anymore, but he knew he could survive whatever came at him anyway. _

"_Blast! He destroyed the pod!" he heard from the crashing boulders. _

_He felt other sparks. They'd come to get him. To capture him, to use him. And they could do it. That spark was so dark, so richly full of greed, envy, sadness, righteousness, mania! And it was smart, too. He didn't know how he could tell but whoever that spark was, it was going to get him. _

_So, he panicked. He roared and struggled and charged and rushed, but everything passed in a blur and he kept seeing warnings about low energon, low energy, incoming projectiles…_

"_Fire! It will weaken his defense!"_

…_incoming projectiles, warning, warning… _

_He couldn't keep up and his vision was going. Was he damaged? He hurt all over but what was a little damage? He thought he saw an optic on the ground, his arm shredded. He was slowing down, but he had to get away. The darkness was coming to get him, a scientist. He wouldn't go back! He'd take them all on!_

Depth Charge gasped, a hand flying to his chest and a knee hit the ground. He tried to shut it off, block it out, but the memory here was too strong. He wasn't even asleep!

_Pain. The kind only a cut to the spark could produce. It was a pain that no amount of cringing, struggling, wiggling, wincing, wishing, hoping, or mental blocking could help him escape from. It was his very essence being sliced into with fire and he screamed as loudly as he ever had in the labs. He couldn't make it go away but he'd been freed, he'd tasted power and might! He wasn't going to succumb to this creature, he'd kill him, rip him apart, and eat his spark while he was still online! He could feel the warm, strong fingers clamp around his spark and place a piece of him in some container. He wasn't even aware of his body anymore, only his pain. _

"_Ahh, so he can_ heal_ himself! How_ intriguing_, yeess! A medical marvel! _

_Get him to the Recovery Chamber. It'll speed up his progress…_

…_I don't want to wait too long to meet our new 'recruit,' yeeesss…" _

" - AGGHHhh!"

Depth Charge found himself screaming just to make it go away and when he finally realized he was in the jungle again, he stood up and peered around ferociously. Where was he? Where was that slagging - ?

It was like the forest was speaking to him. Small snippets of many different voices from the past whispered in his head.

…_captured…abandoned on a distant planet…_

…_we'll get you results soon, I promise… _

…_He's a murderer! A monster!…_

…_Brothers…_

… _this time, I won't bother with a CAGE, CREEP!..._

…_he's had enough…_

…_Not a 'he,' an 'it'…_

…_your new life…It's mine…_

…_Dark…Friend…_

He shook his helm hard enough to dizzy himself. His breathing was ragged and his remoras were out and ready.

"_**X**_!" he shouted into the forest. "Come out of there! I know you're _here_, slaggit!" He remained still, panting.

Like Berysnirls moved at the pace of a glacier, crab legs emerged from the underbrush and a patterned carapace flickered in the grey light of a thunderbolt. Its claws were down and it was flat to the ground, completely submissive.

X did not want a fight and, truth be told, Depth Charge wanted answers.

"_Why_ are you doing this!" he yelled angrily. "What the frag do you hope to get _out _of this?"

Rampage waited a moment before answering, silently willing the other bot to calm down. "I take it you're dreaming about me, old friend."

"No _slag_."

"…Exactly _what_ makes you think I am in control of it?" It was a quiet question, almost drowned out by mounting thunder.

The ray sized up the crab. "They're _your_ visions, X. They're things you're _making_ me see. And I _know_ you're doing it on purpose because I've been _waiting for it!_" His optics grew brighter, shining garnet pinpricks in the grey blue-greens of the jungle. He pointed to his spark as he spoke. "You're a conniving, sneaking, treacherous, slagsucking _lugnut_ who wouldn't hesitate to use our..this… _thing_ to get to me! It's right up your fraggin' _alley_, creep!"

Rampage stared coolly, masking the turmoil of confusion he felt at the words. He'd kept his focus as far away from the tether that linked them as was possible. He liked to 'look' at it, wonder at it, but he hadn't 'used' it. He didn't want to. He was afraid of what might happen. But his playmate was on a whole other game board right now facing off against some entity that wasn't the crab. Visions…What visions? He mentally asked. He could sense the blue Cybertronian's exhaustion, it was even physically evident. And through their link, though he tried not to affect it, came muffled images and voices, as if from behind a screen. He couldn't tell what they were, but they were his and it scared him that he ouldn't control what the other bot was seeing. That was very private stuff.

"What…what are you _seeing_, old friend?" he spoke as if to a frightened animal and the mantabot stiffened.

"You already _know_, X! You, put into stasis lock and sent here; your battle with Megatron before he cut your spark out; doctors and scientists on Omicron speaking about you! I hear voices all the slagging time; I can't make sense of them! And the _youngling_! For Primus' Sake, X, a _youngling_ being torn apart! Are you really that sick? I saw everything you did on Omicron, X. I walked in the streets you left behind! You've killed younglings before! But now, after everything that's happened, our agreement to cooperate and slag, and all of this - !" he waved a hand in the direction Airazor and Tarantulas must be, " – you're killing him before _my optics_! In my _spark_!"

The mech looked ready to go nuclear, but the crab wasn't really worried about it. Depth Charge was seeing _his_ memories and it troubled him. But it wasn't his fault. They were connected at such an intimate level, how could the crustacean possibly control what leaked through? In a way, X knew a lot about sparks and how they lived and died, but he didn't know how they worked on... this degree. How could he? He'd never been one to bother with the science of things, especially after the labs. He did just fine without it, so far.

Youngling…Rampage didn't even remember _being_ a youngling. Whatever that was. He assumed just from the name that youngling meant young bots, like that little spotted cat, but he didn't know specifics and he hadn't discriminated between the many sparks he'd killed. Maybe a really long time ago he was one himself, but he didn't remember. He'd been big and powerful his whole life! Even before he was brought to the labs, he'd been a deadly and worthy criminal, and wreaked havoc on other space colonies. Eventually, he'd been captured and then used for the doctors' experiments. Maybe Depth Charge was seeing his favorite mass murderer killing one of the Omicronian younglings. That would make more sense. Or maybe he was hallucinating from lack of recharge, mixing up different scenes from X's past and thinking they were real. Rampage had been through that before. (_Lovely_ experiment. What fun _that _had been.)

Now, what didn't make sense for real was why the aqua bot thought Rampage would let Depth Charge see his memories? They were HIS. It was his past, part of who he was, and he wasn't going to change himself. And he didn't know how showing scenes from his history would influence the bot. It was certainly something to think about, but what would be his goal? To make him understand? What would happen then? Depth Charge was not going to change his opinion of X. Protoform X was a monster, a horrible, powerful being who apparently tore younglings apart and ate sparks for breakfast. Literally. He was sickening, a twisted creature with no innate moral sense and a penchant for causing pain in others. He'd always been like that and always would be. He and Depth Charge were on the _same page _in that bookfile. It wasn't like he could change that and…

…why would he taint Depth Charge into being like him, if it was even possible? Depth Charge was… Depth Charge. It was what made him so fascinating.

He decided it was time to say something; something so profoundly off topic that it would take the ex-Marshall by surprise and then they could discuss it until the ray got frustrated with it. Then Rampage would tie it back in with their original argument, drawing some amazing conclusion about the situation, tell him to get some rest, and they'd end the argument on a slightly unresolved note that would make Fishface drop off to sleep in deep thought. He loved that particular method of messing with the Guardian's head, even though he knew that this time, he'd also be in deep thought over this one.

He opened his mouth to speak –

**BOOM!**

Depth Charge pulled both triggers, Rampage dove to dodge the shots, and the loud cracking of a falling tree filled the air. The crab transformed, growling, and pulled out his weapons. He and his nemesis glared at one another from behind cover, about to scrap each other into some kind of new agreement, but another loud explosion and they realized that neither of them had made anything explode in the first place. The crackling and whispering of the tree echoed to them from somewhere in the forest, followed by a rumbling landing as it hit the ground, and X's head whipped around to pinpoint an odd life energy with his optics.

"The Vok," he stated with foreboding. He'd been so wrapped up, he hadn't noticed! With a look at his finned companion, he went back to beast mode and hurried into the forest. Frag Depth Charge's drama, he'd hold up _his_ end of the agreement and help, throwing the ray for a loop and leaving him space to back himself up should they confront each other again. After being accused of using visions to accomplish some undetermined goal regarding Depth Charge at a time when the guy was half dead on his feet and who probably had nightmares on a daily basis anyway, Protoform X helped save their two smaller accomplices' lives. Now what?

-0-0-0-0-0-

White, electrifying energy burst through the trees again and Airazor did her best to dodge. The bursts were similar to Depth Charge's discs, but they did a lot more damage. And from a bot as small as Rattrap! The sky was swirling with clouds, but the Vok had yet to use the weather, like Tigerhawk could. Maybe it couldn't…she'd cling to that hope.

Another energy burst and she heard Tarantulas panicking. Even through the noise and the debris flying everywhere, she could see he'd stuck around to try to pull the energon storage unit with him. But, like he'd complained earlier, it had gotten heavy. Energon was partially stored as liquid, after all. At least he hadn't run away, but he wasn't fighting back either.

The mech looked positively out of his mind. He normally didn't look completely sane, but Airazor could only imagine what the invasion to his spark must have been like. It made her shudder now – she hoped she'd never find out. The spiderbot struggled, but the flyer knew he'd only get himself killed trying to save the energon. The Vok was powering up and the scientist was completely open to attack. She dashed between the roots of the trees, dodging gunfire, and launched herself at Tarantulas right in time. They both hit the ground as an energy shot seared past behind them.

The moment she took to feel relieved was poorly rewarded as a brown spiny leg wrapped around her leg, cutting into it. She called for help, but Tarantulas was shaking his head and waving his clawed hands. At the end of the gross brown leg was a chain and the Vok was pulling her in. She grabbed anything she could, her armor sparking at contact with the rocky ground, and revved up her thrusters. At the same time, she turned and fired at the Vok.

Oh slag.

It had her in its sight, the leg and her own strength keeping her from being yanked towards it. Its chest was glowing again and any nanocycle now he'd fire. She had to do something. Shuttering her optics for a split moment, she turned off the burners and let go of the vine she'd grabbed, the white disc missing her. She flipped to her backside and started to fire everything she had into the dark bot.

A yellow flash stopped her path towards death and the chain was broken. She scrambled and rolled to the side as both Depth Charge and Rampage threw themselves out of the forest in a unified charge. The crab slowed down, skidding to a halt and the raybot rushed forward to confront the enemy head on. It was almost humorous how big he was compared to the tiny adversary.

The Vok feigned left, but Depth Charge caught it and he kicked the little scrapheap into a wall of solid rock. The kick was followed up with a volley of missiles via Rampage and slowly thunder made its way into their hearing instead of gunfire. A few drops of rain fell in a light drizzle, and the fog thickened and then dissipated as quickly as it rolled in. They waited.

"Look out!" Airazor cried, and a little brown cockroach popped out of the crater and spread its wings. The white was brighter this time and the explosions louder – it was angry. Everyone scattered, except Tarantulas who was already gone.

The battle was chaos. No one knew where or when the bug would fire, its direction and speed changing constantly. Rampage, who could track its spark, was even having a tough time, multitasking between dodging, shooting, transforming, kicking, and roaring. Eventually, it became everyone's goal to squish the slagging thing. It was small enough - for two of the group, anyway. It was like a sadistic version of kick the can, where the can was sentient and it had a laser beam for a spine. Airazor constantly tried to fire at it from behind trees while rolling or flying above it. Rampage would dash out to kick it, but then it'd move, the quick little fragger, and the crab would then dive back under cover again. Depth Charge was trying to blow the thing up with his remoras before running out to step on it.

Finally, the ray managed a swift enough stomp to elicit a nasty crunch.

The battle stopped.

Ever so slowly, the manta lifted his foot.

The bug sprang back into action with a _ping!_ and zipped off into the bushes.

"Does that thing DIE!" Depth Charge shouted in a fit of rage.

There was a rustle and Airazor gasped.

"Cryptoc, _exterminate_!"

The voice sounded like a combination of gurgling and rattling bones. And it was _way_ to close for comfort.

Just as the tree she'd been hiding behind went into the air as splinters, she took off and landed next to Rampage. All three bots opened fire into the trees and the silver flyer could see a little Tigatron face in her head frowning at the destruction of the plant life around them. Rampage's missiles and Depth Charge's discs blew debris everywhere, but the little creep was nowhere in sight – were they doing this for nothing?

"Hold your fire!" the aqua giant called and the noise died down.

There was silence, and then the cockroach hopped up on a tree stump as if to say, "Ta da!"

The three simultaneously cursed, frustrated and bewildered as to what to do next. And that was when two little darts twanged through the air and hit the cockroach in the abdomen. It squeaked and looked to its left to find Tarantulas aiming a dart gun at it. The spiderbot yelped and leaped behind a boulder, but the insect swayed on its many feet. With a last look at the group, it spread its wings and flew into the air, disappearing wobbily into the clouds.

"Yes!" Airazor exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air. She beamed at the yellow visor that was peeking out over the rock. "You did it, Tarantulas!" Then she remembered that he hadn't helped her when she needed it and she grew sour. "…Where's the energon?"

The violet and magenta arachnibot restarted his vocalizer and strolled out from behind the boulder, half a storage container in tow. He spoke clearly, recovering from shock, but managing to act somewhat normal. For him. "The energon converter was hit with debris and was_ leaking_, but I managed to save half. The other half will have to be recollected at a later date once I've repaired the module and added another tank."

"Hn. Will that be enough to fuel upgrades and normal equipment?" Rampage inquired, wondering what was in those darts.

"No. Most will need to be used for the Recovery Chamber and my lab equipment, plus a small bit saved for any new electronics we might scrounge. There may be enough for a couple of us to upgrade and refuel proportionately. However, _who_ goes first is up for debate."

Airazor could see it now. She expected a mighty confrontation later over who those couple bots should be and why.

She heard a groan and she spun around anticipating the cockroach's return, but instead she found Depth Charge dropping to one knee.

"Depth Charge?"

The Guardian could feel himself slipping. The battle had taken a lot out of him and his anger earlier had been so great that he just coulnd't stay awake any longer.

_Warning: Recharge is strongly recommended for further operation of vital functions_, his on board computer thought to mention.

"Uggh, _shut up_," the manta ray grunted as his teammates got closer.

…_Mine…_

…_depleted of energon. The result was extreme exhaustion, but it didn't go offline…_

…_Just carry out your orders, drone!..._

…_Why don't you know I'm here…?_

_The youngling tried his hardest to struggle but they kept repeating that it was time. They were all so excited and he didn't know why. Next phase of experiments? What more could they do to him? _

"I said stop it, slaggit!" Depth Charge again, flaring to life in his fury. He really didn't want to see this.

"Depth Charge, calm down. It's okay, we'll get you back to base."

"Heh, constant stress and a workaholic work ethic will _do_ this to a bot…"

_They didn't bother putting him offline for the procedure. He didn't know what was happening either. The whole experience was pain and fear. All he knew was that when they brought him in, he was on the table and three doctors were hovering over him. They collected their tools and spoke to each other using some kind of internal communications system so he couldn't hear them. Occasionally they spoke out loud, but never enough to clue him in. _

_First came the scalpel, a precise blade that they cut into his wires and sensitive plating inside his chest. They disconnected his entire spark chamber. At the same time, someone else was cutting into his head. The screaming was normal, it meant he was operating as he should, they said. The sound told them vital information. _

_They only told that to visitors, sponsors, the few lucky students who got this far. The doctors already knew that, of course. There were people watching?_

Someone was turning him over on his back and he fought against it. The last thing Depth Charge wanted right now was to be on his back! He needed to stand, he needed to get back to base, but it was in vain and he saw the grey sky and three shapes around him. His computer kept telling him he was shutting down and he remembered other times he'd stayed up this long. It was illogical to do so, but he'd been hunting X at the time and several things he did during those stellar cycles to himself were not logical or healthy. And here he was all over again, pushing himself to a physical limit he couldn't get passed.

He couldn't have these images in his head anymore, he didn't want anything to do with them. What he'd thought were memories must have been dreams. The youngling didn't match up with any of the other visions. Was that the key to understanding them? No, he wasn't going to think about it. Understanding meant changing things. Understanding lead juries to vote not guilty, patrolmen to let criminals go, victims to forgive tormenters… the list went on. One vital piece of information could prevent him from doing what he had to do.

Sometimes, there were criminals who should _never ever_ get away no matter what. X was one of those. He'd been proven guilty - the bodies, the broken streets, the powerful weapons he carried in an entirely civilian zone; there was evidence all over the place! The Council couldn't deny it and he was dished out a punishment - the wrong punishment but a punishment still. Depth Charge just took it into his own hands…And what had he accomplished? What had he found?

_The next thing the youngling knew, he was somewhere else. He was in the same room, with the same doctors, and he felt the same on the inside. But things were different. He felt bigger. He felt … alive. He was renewed! His head felt right, not too big and heavy. His spark was cozy somehow, and he sensed he had more …ability. Mechanisms and talents, maybe even weapons, he could use now. At the doctors' discretion of course, but…that was only temporary, right? He'd get out of here soon, he knew. Soon. _

_The doctors were speaking again, congratulating each other on jobs well done and graduating to the next phase. He was left alone for the moment, and he felt clear headed. Before, he'd been confused, muddled, hindered somehow, smaller, meeker. But now… he was upgraded. They'd upgraded his frame or something! He didn't feel too big for his body anymore, he was just right, and it gave him a clarity he hadn't felt…ever. His mind just seemed sharper and his systems were calibrating at wonderful limits. Why had they upgraded him? That seemed stupid on their part. Didn't they know that bigger meant more dangerous? If he escaped, he might kill them all!_

_The doctors rejoined him, gathering around and preparing brand new tools the youngling had never seen before. Some of them looked like scalpels, others looked like drills, and another looked like something that might hold liquid. _

"_Beginning Phase Three, Experiment I-01, 2.06.14."_

_Thoughts of escape and gaining his freedom vanished. He understood now why they did the upgrade. They were going to do things that would have broken him before, for good. His spark plunged, his precise calibrations and feeling 'right' in this body meaning nothing. Would it be this way forever? Was there such thing as someone or something that could come make this stop? Someone that might find out and make the doctors hurt and then take him away? _

_The youngest doctor, he was silver, raised an arm and brought down a large mirror for the visitors to watch what he was doing. He saw himself in it. He was giant, but mismatched. Ugly, _so_ ugly, to look at. He was a mishmash of different frame types and he had weird looking feet and stiff looking hands. His face was twisted. He looked so different from the doctors, who all were smooth and … 'themed' in their build but he was an unusual red thing, with a grey face, purple feet, and bright acid green optics. _

He was the youngling. It sounded so simple, almost cliché, but its truth had a huge implication. Depth Charge's optics dimmed and he cursed himself for letting himself think about this anyway.

Protoform X was never a 'big time, bad aft' criminal like in the dream, was he? He'd been fed lies before and now, he realized, the lie was bigger than that.

First, he hadn't even known the science facility was housing bots for lab testing until after Omicron was leveled. The Council told him long after Omicron and Starbase Rugby, when X had finally been captured, that the Omicron science academy had been running experiments on the sparks of criminals in their labs to replicate Decepticon Starscream's immortal spark. He'd thought that was ridiculous, and wrong, but what upset him the most was that he _should_ have known about this. Because of the danger – only the worst of the worst were used as lab rats. While he didn't agree that spark investigation should have live subjects at this caliber, at least he could have been prepared for the worst should any of the criminals escape. Maybe if he had known, he could have done something. That bit of news placed part of the blame on the science academy, but X was the one who was criminal and murderer, so he'd been the one in the line of fire for justice. The Guardian knew there was no way he could have known, but there had been subtle clues of something bigger going on there. He'd failed his job, the people of Omicron, by not seeing the red flags. The Council had informed him of this corporation's lie, and the irresponsibility of it had angered him beyond reason. How could they have done such things right in his colony and gotten away with it?

But now…

Once X was caught, the Council had done an investigation and determined the facts. Protoform X was a mass murderer before his incarceration at Colonial Prison Facility Alpha-Four, a space colony completely dedicated to housing the worst criminals of Cyberton. X was then submitted to the Omicron Academy of Understanding and Progressive Achievement in Medical Science for medical testing because…well, that's what happened to the worst criminals sometimes if they consented to it in order to do some community service with their pathetic lives. What no one knew was the bot's capacity for intelligence and with that Protoform X had eventually escaped and went on a killing spree that outmatched anything he'd done before.

That was wrong, though, yet another lie in this case. The Youngling… it was Protoform X. He'd been _sparked_ in those labs. He'd been an _innocent_ before they… Oh slag.

The _High Council_ had lied to him, or at least someone in the Council had covered up the case. Then they sent X, alive, to some barren planet. Would they come after the bot again and take him away for lab testing on some other colony to continue their interrupted experiments? Primal's ship was shot down, though; would anyone even know where they were now? Probably not…but if Depth Charge come through that weird space anomaly, someone else, and a ship of science bots, could. In fact, the High Council had forbidden entrance to that area of space. It was possible they knew something. They could _all_ potentially be taken away somewhere and no one would ever know because the government was helping.

Great, what other bad news could come of this? Oh yes – the fact that while Protoform X was certainly a guilty murderer, he hadn't exactly gotten that way because he wanted to be, and it made the manta wonder … it made him wonder if Rampage's smarmy, proud persona was a façade for some very deep flaws in his character, scars his spark could never heal. The mech had been raised by careless caretakers who abused him and saw him as a mere object. He'd been raised by nightshift guards who kept each other entertained during the long megacycles of an unwanted shift with stories. He'd matured with little input from society except through what his highly intelligent mind could absorb from the limited world around it… X's mind had come to conclusions about himself and the world around him based on that little box he'd lived in and those conclusions formed the very basis for his identity and how he acted in the world. Was he a criminal...or a victim?

"I was 'the youngling'?" X's voice reached him through the growing fog in his head; hushed, as if the answer could be very bad. He sounded worried, confused… "What does that mean?"

…Completely unaware of some facts in his own history.

What _did_ it mean? What did he do now?

He needed time to think. There was too much to handle. And his systems were flashing alerts at him.

"Tiga…Tigator's in command…until I…"

After a long and epic fight against his own body, Depth Charge finally drifted off.

-0-0-0-0-0-

"By the _Matrix_!"

Tigatron grinned at his mate as she landed at the base of a gold pile of spare parts just to the left of headquarters. "There's more, but we'll need help lifting the larger pieces."

Tarantulas hissed in excitement, sprinting as fast as his odd legs could carry him. "Yes! Yes! This will work, it's an excellent start! Oh good, that piece is whole!" The spider continued to exclaim to himself partially in some other Cybertronian dialect, naming parts as he found them and putting together mental plans that everyone could hear but no one could understand. He bumped Inferno out of the way of a particularly important piece of tech and he twittered spiderishly.

"Where's Depth Charge?" the white tiger asked, bumping his nose against the falcon's beak.

Airazor wilted slightly. "Tigatron…He was exhausted and he passed out…He named you as leader until he comes back online…Well, technically he named Tigator as leader, but considering he doesn't exist…"

It was her mate's turn to wilt. He began, "But I …" But he thought over what he'd learned today and reconsidered with more confidence. "Well, then, I'll be in charge for at most ten megacycles. I think I can handle it."

He smiled. In ten megacycles, they could get the ship parts relocated and start plans to locate stasis pods. Airazor smiled and transformed, revealing some minor battle wounds and mangled armor about her leg. Tigatron gasped.

"Run into to some trouble?" Terrorsaur questioned from atop a rocky ledge with Waspinator and Quickstrike arguing nearby. He looked very comfortable up there and despite the inquiry, he didn't budge an inch.

"Yeah, a new Vok-body attacked us," she replied to Tigatron, ignoring the dinosaur's presence. "A _cockroach_. And it wouldn't die! We killed it _three times_ and it just kept getting back up!"

"Another Vok means another comrade lost," Tigatron mumbled sadly.

Rampage finally lumbered in, Depth Charge draped across his back. He said nothing to anyone and the giant crab crawled directly into the tunnels under several watchful and curious optics.

The striped cat blinked copmassionately, then turned to the group, feeling a little shy. He decided he'd start a 'discussion' determining the team's course of action and he hoped to Primus he got the same cooperation he did earlier. "While our leader gets his rest, we'll gather the rest of the _Darksyde_'s wing… Should we store the parts out here or make room in the cavern?"

-0-0-0-0-0-

He'd been right.

His old friend had been seeing his past in personal detail but…

He found it hard to comprehend, for some reason. He should just write it off, but it made too much sense to ignore. It almost felt…true. Intuitionally speaking. Mentally, he couldn't really get around it.

Rampage lifted Depth Charge onto the largest table he could find in the spider's lab, replacing tools and equipment to a different table. A moment's thought, however, and he placed the ray on the floor. He gripped the table and lifted it.

What did this mean, then? That he was actually from the labs? That he'd had no past before that? That was laughable.

Of _course_ he'd had a life before Omicron. He remembered it. He remembered coercing others to help him and even remembered other bots' faces who had helped him achieve his devious goals. Together they stormed colonies, and even Cybertron itself, travelling constantly so they weren't caught. Their names…were fuzzy, but he felt like he could remember them if he thought about it some more. He knew that some torture made him forget things, which was why a lot of his life was a blank. One experiment, he recalled, made him forget at least a month of memories, according to the blue doctor. It was possible Depth Charge had misidentified him as a 'youngling' in those labs when that's what he really looked like at the time, _or_ maybe an experiment had taken his spark and put it into a bigger body than before, the experiments they did making it bigger and giving it healing abilities. They did a lot of things and sometimes they had weird effects, so it wasn't unbelievable.

He set the table down, the nagging feeling at his processor being hushed and told to go away. He knew who he was, what he was, and what he was capable of. A trip down memory lane through a bot who confused Justice with Revenge and trapped himself in strange ideals and anger was not the best way to draw conclusions about _his_ past.

He retrieved the blue mech and placed him on the table again, this time in a different location behind a curtain of rock, several yards from the entrance. It was private but not isolated. This way, when Depth Charge awoke, he wouldn't be in the center of the purple creep's _work_station. Rampage shivered unconsciously at the thought.

Hm, he couldn't see how a misinterpreted memory could change anything. Except Depth Charge, maybe, possibly, but he could correct that later.

One red hand rested over his spark, and the second alighted on the manta ray's chest, the other's spark pulsing peacefully in its temporary stasis, a wonderful blend of calm and cold fury.

"Old friend…Ha… I call you that for a _reason_, you know," he said softly to the dormant bot. "Your spark was my first friend. I could sense it – your despondence, your frustration, your ferociousness! We were _so alike_, you and I, but somehow opposite; like you felt things on a different level than I did. I found it so _interesting_. …I never knew what you looked like. But I _knew _you'd help me, if you could. I heard your name sometimes, down in the prison, you know; Depth Charge, Honored Guardian of Omicron, an upholder of justice and the law, and I waited… Where were you, old friend, all that time?"

Rampage looked at the blank face and darkened optics, and gently ran his fingers over its contours. "You were knocked out when I first saw you in person, too. I assume you were attempting to save someone you thought you were responsible for?" He chuckled at the foolishness before going silent, thinking. "Your face matched what I thought you'd look like _so_ perfectly, so unique… and _wonderfully_ built, unlike my own." He touched hs own faceplates, feeling bumps and weird appendages.

His was the perfect face to go with that spark. It was exquisitely designed and a rare occurance in a world of faces that only looked at him with disgust, horror, ignorance, fear, anger, pain, and awful awful indifference… Funny, Depth Charge thought and had expressed just that about him, _except _indifference. Depth Charge could _never _ignore him. He could never settle for giving a look of contempt and locking him away somewhere to rot or be cut into. No, the bot wanted X's attention as much as X wanted his and to watch him die for what he'd done. How _excellent_!

The bot's spark hadn't been fearful in that setting of fire and death on Omicron. It was tortured, horrified, and, above all, furious. This one would_ do_ something about this and he wouldn't hold back, the monster had thought. And, in that, this spark promised his freedom, his salvation. And, so, he'd freed his first friend and he hoped it would find him and free him in return.

Rampage withdrew his hand and took a step back, making sure there was a physical distance between them to balance out their new spiritual closeness. Depth Charge had held up his end of the bargain, technically; he'd killed Protoform X. All that was left was Rampage, now. His own new beginning, a phoenix from the ashes type deal.

It hadn't been what he was looking for, though. He hadn't wanted a rebirth, he hadn't wanted to stay here. He had wanted…peace, happiness, painlessness, freedom from the hardships that constantly presented themselves to him. He'd thought death would be the answer and he'd had his fun while it lasted; he was, after all, a monster. He was_ prepared _to go!

…_That's _why he'd _let go_ of the energon the ray thought for sure would kill him. He'd let _go_…

But he was still here.

…and Rampage, for all his remarks about escaping the planet, starting a 'new game,' keeping himself busy scheming and planning, just didn't quite know what to do with himself.

He felt suddenly bitter, confused, and vulnerable. Concluding the gloomy cavern and the nearby workbenches were getting to him, he turned to leave.

-0-0-0-0-0-

* * *

-0-0-0-0-0-

**Author's Discussion:**

_-_- My goodness. That was hard to write. I had a lot of ideas to plant in this episode, and this chapter specifically, but I had to cut back a lot. I didn't want to press anything too much and gave a LOT of teasers for pre-Beast Wars events without actually covering everything that happened. I even skippe around a bunch of times and I'm sorry for that! But we'll learn more in time. Have any questions? Well….you can either ask in a review…;D … or wait! :3 This epi isvery important in providing the basis for a lot of bigger stuff later, so I'll be referring back to events/memories touched on here in later chapters. _

The following comments about the chapter are in no particular order:

_I dun like roaches at all, but I liked the one in Wall-E, so the part where the roach gets run over and he springs back up and shakes himself off? That's the sound effect in my head when I wrote Cryptoc recovering from a well placed foot._

_Can anyone who's a Terrorsaur fan pick out a very important aspect of his talents in this chapter! I planted a seed, no two!, in there that will come into play later in his development. I'll give ya a freebie and say I also have Quickstrike going a little nuts from Battle Withdrawal. Dunno if anyone noticed yet. 8D _

_I love the flags…seemed perfectly childish in comparison to the ability to do hard work the Predacons must possess._

_The jungle they visit is the one from Bad Spark, obviously, which is also half the title of the epi. Since Rampage is apparently an Alaskan King Crab (I doubt it.) I placed the jungle northwest from wherever they are, on a mountain side facing the ocean (thus a lot of clouds and moist weather), and then energon causes the jungle atmosphere somehow vs. a normal temperate one. Yay. _

_Tarantulas… has issues that are still being worked out. I havea plan for him the next epi or the epi after that._

_All the Vok so far have names. The cockroach is Cryptoc and I'll tell y'all the other two since I'm not sure I'll have them speak much any time soon and I don't want to forget them – The cicada is_ Tettix _and_ _the grasshopper is_ Acrigera.

_The hole ending scene took the longest to write. I wanted to draw conclusions to this episode while leaving plenty open for later epis and further development. Like I said, I'll be revisiting pre-Beast Wars events (for all the charries actually, over time) but this chappie was an intro. DC now knows that after everything he'd learned about X, X was actually literally born in the labs and raised there which kinda changes how 'guilty' he is and his status as a criminal. How DC processes all this and reacts to it will be covered later. Meanwhile, we have conflicting info from Rampage regarding his past and a tenuous explanation of his thinking process behind everything he did from Omicron to the end of BW. (More later.) He seems confused, lost, uncertain, and isn't sure how to proceed, but habits die hard and he'll slip right back into being himself as soon as he walks out the tunnel. He has some MAJOR issues, obviously, but later. Soon, but later. ._. _

_Also, the names of places, like the prison and academy, were meant to be simple and easy to remember. Heh._

_This chapter seemed a little messy to me, but that might be because I thought myself into circles. I mean, come on, I was writing a character that was falling asleep and another who has layers and layers of damage on his psyche. O_o …._

_Tigator… Silly DC still getting his name wrong! The decision was random and I was gonna put Tigapi. But I thought that was _too_ humorously deviant from the real name for the moment._

_There's a LOT to comment on for this chapter, but I'll leave it at that. Further questions and comments can be written in PM or review! Then I'll answer them instead of pasting a whole bunch of info at the end of my chapter. lol See ya soon! _

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	14. Author's Announcement

**Beast Wars: Deep Impact**

**Author's Announcement**

Hey everybody.

Been a long time since I posted to this story, but I have a little announcement to my readers about this fic that some of you might like to hear. _Or_ perhaps you've moved on with your fandom by now - it HAS been a couple years since I started this and then it's been on hiatus for a very long time...

Throughout the writing of this story and since I stopped, I got PMs asking if I gave up, or if this fic would go away. An every time I said no, that I wasn't planning on this fic disappearing into the archives of FFN without being completed.

And I still hold forth on that. n_n

This is an announcement to readers who might still be following/watching/faving/finding/reading this fic that I will be releasing the first few installments of _a rewrite_ of this fic onto FFN in the next couple weeks. I do have a lot to do, but sometimes a story will just come up and bite me in the rear out of the blue. Besides, all the characters in this fic and their dynamics/futures/development have been in my head forever and won't leave me alone! Their story is a good one I think, and I'd love to tell it. Besides, I've noticed a decrease in Beast Wars fanfiction lately. I refuse to let the fandom die.

Some noted changes will include:

~ This older version of the fic will still be available on FFN, but I will rename it to Deep Impact: The Archives. I won't delete it because I know some people have faved it and I rather like the reviews I got for it! So from now on, if you're lookin' for it, there will be two versions of the story – the Archives (which is this one), and Beast Wars: Deep Impact (the new one).

~ Better writing. I don't know if you've noticed while reading this fic, but man is it MESSY. The whole reason I stopped writing was because I wrote myself into a dark corner, and I didn't even know what I was writing anymore. The plots got mixed up, I revealed too much information too soon, some things were moving faster than others, etc. The POV seems to change a lot too, and the narrative is rather subjective and stream of conscious. It's part of my style apparently, but I can control it better a second time around. In other words, I want things more legible and written at a better pace.

~ Expect new content! New plot twists, different dialogue, a different pace, and different sequences of events. It won't be the same story over again, otherwise I'd just rewrite and repost the chapters here and keep going once I reached the end. But no. While some events and plot points will be the same, there will be plenty of new stuff.

~ Shorter chapters. Everyone likes a nice long chapter, but for me writing 8000 words and then 2000 words of silly author's notes to explain myself is quite daunting. I'd like to write the fic as a continuous story with sequential Arcs, rather than as separate episodes. I'll try to make things similar to Beast Wars, you know, with cliffhangers and better scene switching, but overall the format will be different. Trying to fit everything into 3 chapters per 'episode' was a terrible idea and crunched things up for me. Posting shorter chapters will mean more time will be taken per scene and per character and I get a Word Count break.

And throughout all these changes, I will reference the advice my readers have given me through reviews and PMs.

I think that covers the basics, and hopefully it's good enough. n.n I'm really hoping you've all enjoyed this fic, and I hope you enjoy it's reborn version as well!

Ahem… One more thing - I also changed my author name to Deepclaw. Just in case you don't recognize me. n_n

See you soon!


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